#35: an unlikely source
Who gets your vote for bringing development: the World Bank or Wal-Mart? A year ago I was asked, "How could this evil corporate empire contribute to development"?
Michael Short evaluates Wal-Mart's impact on Chinese industrial workers – particularly on those who have seen their wages more than double. He states that such "successes" more than match the outcome of foreign aid or local finance, despite all the ills of corporate practices. Else why would anyone in China line up to work for Wal-Mart if there was something better knocking at the door. It is a compelling argument.
I abhor child-labour and their exploitation in any form and anywhere – from sowing fields to diamond mines. But the alternative for them may be markedly worse. When I see boys and girls who should be in school rather than engaged in odd jobs that earn them a pittance, I think of their desperation and the failure of the society. But I also consider the possibility that someone in that family might have a better chance because of their sacrifices. At least while they are working, they are not resorting to crime or other worse forms of exploitation, they aren't joining the swelling ranks of the unemployed. And they may not have to rummage through garbage for their next meal.
The solution may not be in banning Wal-Marts but in social change and civic engagement that creates norms, provides safety nets, and mitigates the gap between the haves and have-nots. That's a tall order.
Michael Short evaluates Wal-Mart's impact on Chinese industrial workers – particularly on those who have seen their wages more than double. He states that such "successes" more than match the outcome of foreign aid or local finance, despite all the ills of corporate practices. Else why would anyone in China line up to work for Wal-Mart if there was something better knocking at the door. It is a compelling argument.
I abhor child-labour and their exploitation in any form and anywhere – from sowing fields to diamond mines. But the alternative for them may be markedly worse. When I see boys and girls who should be in school rather than engaged in odd jobs that earn them a pittance, I think of their desperation and the failure of the society. But I also consider the possibility that someone in that family might have a better chance because of their sacrifices. At least while they are working, they are not resorting to crime or other worse forms of exploitation, they aren't joining the swelling ranks of the unemployed. And they may not have to rummage through garbage for their next meal.
The solution may not be in banning Wal-Marts but in social change and civic engagement that creates norms, provides safety nets, and mitigates the gap between the haves and have-nots. That's a tall order.
Labels: economie
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