I believe that human beings are born with an innate desire to improve their own lives and the lives of people close to them. I believe that an unfettered free market is the best method of enhancing, amplifying and advancing that desire. I believe that such a desire for self-improvement utlimately results in not just benefits for the individual, but for her family, community, and society at large. I do not believe that people are inherrently stupid, nor do I believe that people need a bunch of well-intentioned neo-environmentalists telling them how they should believe, act, or think. The vast majority of people are quite capable of putting their own long-term interests in proper perspective. While variables exists, this means that people will not elevate their own short-term gain to a place of prominence that it does not deserve in their own value system. As long as their value system does not endanger my own well-being, I choose not to judge their system or to attempt to change it. Our society's adherence to capitalist ideas have made ours the richest in the history of the world. However, we owe no one an apology for that fact, nor should we be ashamed of it. I personally however, feel that as some of the most prosperous people on the face of the earth, we should attempt, where pratical, to encourage, not force, not demand, the peoples of the world to follow our example so that they too can enjoy all that this wonderful world has to offer.Originally Posted by discretedancer
Altruism hasn't got a damn thing to do with it. The United States is the leading exporter in the world. If her standard of living rises substantially, perhaps she will buy some of our products.Yes....your solution is SO GOOD to her, its absolutely altruistic.
No, your "solution" would chase the factory somewhere else.My solution would still provide the factory, since wages in her country woud be lower than many others (but still living wage) AND it would protect her from the problems our societh had (and has) related to non sustainable development.




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