If Tommy Hilfiger Jeans were all made here in the states, no one would shell out for them.
Most Americans are not willing to pay Americans, let alone citizens of a Third World country, U.S. wage standards to produce their clothing.
To make the things we buy economically efficient, many types of production must occur in Third World countries. Overall, this is fine; it provides jobs in areas where there otherwise may be none. However, problems occur where human rights fall prey to bribes and political clout.
There is no real hope of these Third World countries ever reaching our status. The United States went through similar times, but we were working to support and develop our own empire, primarily via our own means. Third World countries are working to support and advance themselves via others' means; this will always create a barrier.
Our companies need to take reasonable measures to ensure that their purchasers use sources that produce goods in a legitimate manner. If goods are purchased from factories that pay their workers a reasonable wage relative to their economy, then slowly but surely, individuals will be able to make advances for themselves and become educated.
This week, The Associated Press indicated that the Sean John clothing line is being produced in sweatshops in Honduras.
The Sean John Company may or may not have known about the working conditions in these factories; it has said it did not. Since Sean John corporation does not own the factory where the textiles are produced, it would not be impossible for someone to have convinced executives that the goods were coming from a fair manufacturer.
But as the infinitely wise human rights groups uncover more about this scandal every day, they blame the companies that place their labels on the clothing. This is unfair.
While people have a responsibility to know where their products are produced, the human rights groups have a responsibility to ensure that they accurately depict what is going on and clarify whether or not a company willfully engaged in these practices.
Suppose for a moment that the P-Diddy Empire had no idea this was going on and had even asked the right questions when awarding production contracts. It is now suffering losses because it was misled, and the human rights group looks like a hero. Such watchdog organizations may just be looking for publicity and going after the biggest name they can find.
Third World wages must be evaluated in the context of their own economies, not ours. The National Labor Committee's Web site laments that workers in the Third World are being paid as little as $0.75 per hour. At http://www.marrder.com/htw/feb98/business.htm, I found that a manufacturing company in Honduras with more than 16 employees is now required to pay its workers a minimum of Lps 36.30 (Honduran currency) per workday. Converting this daily wage into U.S. dollars at the current exchange rate came to $2.126 per day. This means that if a worker put in a 15-hour workday, they would make $0.14 per hour. If this is the number their government has deemed an appropriate pay, then the $0.75 per hour seems excessive. If Third World workers were paid at the U.S. cost of living, they would be millionaires in their terms, which would completely disrupt their economies.
I will not discount that inhumane treatment may be occurring and should be stopped. Consider, however, that human rights groups raise awareness through showcasing the most unconscionable cruelty they can find.
Consider how willing people who make next to nothing can be if they are paid for their time, travel, food and lodging to speak out about an experience. Something with this tactic seems amiss. As long as their story is compelling, they probably will continue living like kings: They have an incentive to describe their situation in the worst possible light.
That said, I maintain that there are some absolutely unbelievable things happening in these countries; still, we must consider carefully the means by which this information is being delivered to us.
So next time you hear of these awful sweatshop conditions, consider the agency breaking the news and its political motives, as well as the primary source victims and what their personal motivations may be.
And finally, do your homework to see if the pay that seems meager is actually so bad by the host country's standards.
Matt Snowden is a finance senior and may be reached at: matthew.snowden@asu.edu.
