I’ve been sitting on this press release from the WTO – Formalized Slavery Model for Africa. I’ve been trying to figure out whether to show it to Michelle. How to show it to Michelle. What to say or suggest when I do show it to her.
And then there’s the idea of Walmart villages. Going back to the good old days when the company town owned everyone in town. You worked for the company, lived in a house owned by the company and bought food in the company store. Is this the direction we’re headed in now with these Walmart villages? I’m sitting on this one too.
Maybe I should send her both links and just see which direction she takes them, on her own.
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That there are people with power and money listening to the WTO proposal is appalling and frightening. I’m having a hard time wrapping my mind around the concept that big business thinks slavery is the answer to Africa’s problems (and lots of money in their pockets.) Outrage worked with the two entities backing the “If I Did It” project. Is there an effective way to bring it to bear here?
I’ve re-read the WalMart thing several times & I’m not seeing that the apartments and condos would be company housing for their own staff. The way I’m reading it,it’s just a community development for whoever. Is there something I missed here?
I had my eyes opened when I spent a summer working on relief projects for mill workers. Company stores and company housing sucked the ink right off of their paychecks before they ever had them in hand. Terrible poverty, sub-standard housing, sick kids … it was horrendous. IF WalMart is proposing trapping it’s own employees in a similar scenario, it just might make me finally join the boycotts.
Delving into these things is an excellent way for kids to hone their critical thinking skills. Good luck helping Michelle wade through the morrass that is Americn Big Business.
We have several live-work retail developments that are new to our town, and getting rave reviews from the residents. Our town really is into the mixed use developments, trying to bring residents back into the downtown areas.
The WTO thing. Wow. Just…wow. I’m horrified.
As a die hard advocate of free market economics I can’t understand how this is consistent with those principals. A free market economy is based on each individual’s self determination. Slavery doesn’t fit. Where’s the self determination for the slave?? This goes against everything I believe in. I’m continually disgusted by the “solutions” offered up by big beuracracies for Africa. The only things that have ever helped have been small scale, person to person, “teach a man to fish” types of solutions.