Thursday, July 31, 2008

Fair Slavery?

Over the years I have sometimes made the mistake of buying and then selling "fair trade" products. It is a mistake insofar as it implies that my other products, not similarly labelled, are unfairly traded.

The Racine Post reports that a fair trade store and coffee shop will soon be opening in downtown Racine. To make a go of it, the owners, Racine Dominicans, will rely on volunteers to work the shop.

The irony here is that the same folks who are complaining about third world wages will be offering their own employees even less.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

And a quick Goggle will show anyone that "Fair Trade" is anything but.
However the middlemen are doing nicly
the farmers not so much.

Anonymous said...

Fair Trade or not, should the Racine Dominicans really be in a business (volunteers or not)? They would be competing with other merchants who might offer similar products creating an unfair advantage for the "good Sisters".

Also, would this business be exempt from property taxes (like their motherhouse is)?

Anonymous said...

Funny how the small business folk that are fundamentalists don't post here.