Sweatshops Response

I found Bhagwati’s argument to be interesting, but not compelling enough.  I cannot pretend to fully understand the economic implications of sweatshop boycotting.  Regardless of the economic implications, I think Bhagwati thinks he is covering more ground in his argument than he actually is.  He assumes that those morally opposed to sweatshops will immediately demonstrate this through a boycott.  I think that Bhagwati commits the fallacy of bifurcation, and assumes that there are only two options: wanting to keep sweatshops or making demands through a boycott.  Though many have attempted to morally condemn sweatshops and show this through boycotting them, I agree with neither of these claims, and I believe there is a third possibility.

I think it is justified for Bhagwati to discuss the relevant economic factors involved in keeping sweatshops, but I also think Aulakh’s description of the conditions cannot be overlooked.  The workers are screamed at for mistakes, are crammed into a small space, are provided access to only poor bathroom facilities, work long hours, receive no kind of benefits (for example days off with pay), sometimes are beaten, and are institutionalized into believing there will never be a better option.  I believe there must be a way to ensure that the conditions improve and children are allowed more freedom.  Their childhood should not be spent working 12 hours a day. 

Wages should be higher, even if it means clothing and other products cost more.  Some of the burden of responsibility is on the consumer.  I find myself starting to sound like Singer, but simply accepting these conditions as Bhagwati suggests is too dismissive.  Bhagwati assumes too much.  By demanding a shift in conditions, we do not need to completely restructure our economic system.  I understand that we cannot simply wish away free trade, but simply accepting the conditions because the alternatives are worse and because there are economic factors involved is not a strong moral argument, and is not as limiting as Bhagwati suggests.