Sweatshops: Just a Misleading Propaganda Scheme?

Kaitlyn Dunn
Now its clear the title of this op-ed has grabbed your attention; maybe my unfavorable opinion has
intrigued you or maybe you strongly disagree. No matter the reason Im here to tell you why sweatshops
are crucial to the success of all countries and benefit everyone involved.
Whether you realize it or not, companies purposely disclose and leak unpublished information involving
these sweatshops simply to inhibit the growth of their competitors. In other words most anti-sweatshop
arguments have unintended consequences that indirectly support large corporations. All those heart
wrenching stories about the negative effects of foreign investment are just a way for these large
companies to stay competitive. Dont get me wrong those stories are essential to raising awareness on
global poverty, but the reasoning behind them isn't what you might think.
Lets say Factory A, who makes their products in the US, exposes that Factory B, who makes all their
products overseas, exploits their workers and encourages the use of slavery. This then causes Factory B to
shut down factories around the world, and makes business flourish for Factory A. And this is not just in
theory, in fact it is statistically shown that American Apparel (who makes all of their products in US)
flourished after the outbreak of college protests over sweatshops, and still benefits from the failure of
sweatshops.
So I would simply like to talk about the reality of sweatshops without all these staged photographs and
brainwashing business strategies. To start lets look at sweatshops from the perspective of the worker.
Although sweatshops may seem inhumane and cruel to us Americans, in reality sweatshops are the best
and most profitable option for workers in these foreign countries. Id love to get a job in a factory, said
Pim Srey Rath, a 19-year-old woman scavenging for plastic. At least that work is in the shade. Here is
where its hot. (Kristof, 3)
Not only are sweatshops the best work environment, but according to the Mises Institute, "Sweatshop
wages are more than double the national average in Cambodia, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Honduras.
But if you are still set on supporting these workers you should be buying MORE products made by
sweatshops instead of trying to shut them down. By buying more products made overseas it directly
benefits these large companies who pay the sweatshop workers. The immediate effects of this profit might
be indirect to the physical worker but it solidifies jobs and all together is the better option.
If you want these foreign investors to raise wages for workers, boycotting and protesting does nothing but
negatively affect everyone involved. If these companies were to raise wages, it would make the product
more expensive for the consumers and therefore less competitive. This would force multi-national
companies to cut back on factories and workers. Now your so-called underprivileged workers are
forced to beg on streets once again. According to a 1997 UNICEF study, 5,000 to 7,000 Nepalese children
turned to prostitution after the US banned that countrys carpet exports in the 1990s. (Veksler, 8 )

In the words of New York Times Columnist Nicholas Kristof, Sweatshops are only a symptom of
poverty, not a cause, and banning them closes off one route out of poverty. In fact sweatshops are one of
the best ways to attract business and foreign investment to developing countries. Every country wants
more foreign investment. Its the stuff that makes economies grow, adds value to currency and improves
wages and the quality of life for all citizens (The Use of Sweatshop Labor, 5) By attracting foreign
investment, countries have a better chance to increase their workers standard of living and eventually pull
the country out of poverty.
On the other hand, it is believed companies utilize slave labor in sweatshops, which is entirely false. The
dictionary definition of a slave is a person entirely under the domination of some influence or person.
Obviously this is not the case since workers are free to leave the company whenever they please. Indeed
some sweatshops do mistreat and abuse workers but dont all jobs manipulate employees to a certain
degree? Far more of these sweatshops have decent standards and those few alienated cases dont represent
the entirety. The fact that people choose to work in these sweatshops makes the argument for itself, and
by observing the behavior of people directly a part of the issue insures an accurate reading of the
situation. If workers choose to work in sweatshops versus working anywhere else then obviously it is
their best option, and we have no right to intrude.
Whether you realize it or not the entire premise of sweatshops is built for the wrong reasons. Simply
look at the name sweatshop and see the subconscious bias it imposes. If these factories were called
sunshine and rainbow shops opinions on the matter would be very different. So all I ask of you is to
look at the facts. Dont get sucked in by corrupt companies that profit from the failure of sweatshops. And
please dont just follow the rest of the lemmings off the cliff.

Works Cited:
"How "Sweatshops" Help the Poor." Mises Institute.
N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.
Kristof, Nicholas. "My Sweatshop Column." New York Times.
N.p., n.d. Web.
Nicholas. "Where Sweatshops Are a Dream." The New York Times. The New
York Times, 14 Jan. 2009. Web. 12 Feb. 2016.
"Sweatshops and Child Labor." Sweatshops and Child Labor.
N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2016.
"The Use of Sweatshop Labour." Debate Argument:.
N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2016.
"The Virtues of "Sweatshops" - Capitalism Magazine." Capitalism Magazine.
N.p., 17 Jan. 2001. Web. 12 Feb. 2016.

"Top 3 Ways Sweatshops Help The Poor Escape Poverty." Learn Liberty
Main RSS2. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2016.
Veksler, David. "The One Minute Case For "Sweatshops" One
Minute Cases. N.p., 30 May 2007. Web.
"11 Facts About Sweatshops." Do Something.
N.p., n.d. Web.