Chris

Blame who you like. I responded to a suggestion that sweatshop workers should be grateful for the opportunity to work, which was presented as "US Aid", and that they should say "no thanks" if they do not want this aid.

Whether the situation is caused by the Chinese Government, Iraq, Martians, greedy first world consumers, whoever... the fact remains that these peoples' suffering is real in 2003. And we are benefiting from it- both in the fat profits for our corporates, profit that increases our nations' power and wealth, and in the slight savings (generally only a few pennies) that we enjoy when we buy shoes and t-shirts.

Over the next 5 years, members of many 3rd world communities will get access to the media and will learn how we live. Some will decide they love us for the aid we provided to help lift their standard of living towards our own; others will hate us when they realise the extent of our wealth and our financial enjoyment/moral indifference re their plight. Ask yourself how you would respond if you worked in a sweatshop to support 2 sisters and an aged mother, then one day you saw "Friends" or "LA Law" at the communal TV and realised how "generous" the wealthy world has been.

JR