Tuesday, June 1, 2010

perpetuating unfairness

it might be too much to ask for us to actively make the world a fairer place. (fairer, for this instance, let's just say is a case where less people starve and in return some don't get to eat thousand dollar caviar while laying waste to the ecosystem. i hope we might be able to agree on that much)

but are we indirectly perpetuating unfairness?

when we buy luxury goods - is that providing employment or opportunities, or supporting the corporate infrastructure to continue their exploitation?

if i don't know where my coffee comes from - is that helping to keep the exporters strong, so they continue to take advantage of the struggling growers?

if i eat factory farmed food or mass-trawled fish (both cheaper options) - is that destroying the livelihoods of the traditional farmers and fishermen, now with most of the profits going to the industrialized food companies?

perhaps the question isn't even actively trying to make the world fairer - the issue is more of not making things worse.