ACORN

[kandrathe]

So, if I understand that correctly, you don't see at all how any person could or even should take anything other than price and quality into consideration on purchase decisions? :unsure:

I quite agree on the topic of laws, regulation and enforcement. If there is a way to cheat and win, it will be used - that is part of the human condition. But it is equally true that you, as an individual, need not support those who do. You can become informed and you can make your own choices. The spectrum of human behaviour includes altruism too. You don't have to resign yourself to the lowest common denominator (or the lowest bidder).

If you feel powerless and surrender to 'the enormity of the problem', then you damn well are powerless. But you are choosing that; don't try to claim that it is inevitable.

An informed person can be discriminating in their purchase decision, although the population will not, by and large, be informed. We suffer already from information overload, and in that so many lies are told that no one believes what they hear anymore as well. Even if you went on a massive campaign to inform people on the exploitation of children to pick cocoa or coffee beans, I would bet that over half the population would not believe it.

What I'm saying is that "I" am powerless. But, "WE" are not powerless. Then "WE" get to the question of which problem should "WE" focus upon now, exploitation of workers in the 3rd world, global warming, failing economy, exporting pollution to the 3rd world, corporate greed? It seems to me "WE" are doing a poor job at containing any one of them. Frankly my number one concern is the conversion of the economy off of a petroleum energy source. Without a continued source of cheap abundant energy, millions to billions of people will die.

Altruism should not be expected when it jeopardizes a persons natural rights. I also only believe in voluntary altruism, rather than institutionalized altruism.