2007/10/30
Gap between the ears
Gap has said that it will withdraw certain clothes from sale which it has discovered were made with child labour. The clothes will be destroyed, they announced.
Well, excuse me, but what good will that do? It's nothing but a sad and stupid waste. If it is important not to profit from these clothes, take the labels off and give the clothes away, or sell the clothes and give the money to charity.
Anyway, what's so evil about child labour, eh? Let the kids work. It's the Third World, and they don't have Playstations to keep them busy. As long as the work it not too dangerous, and the children are not prevented from getting any schooling, there's no reason why they shouldn't work. Children in the rich West have long summer holidays, and it seems to have been forgotten that the reason for these holidays was, historically, so that the children could help out on the farm in the run-up to harvest. Now our children work full time as professional consumers. It helps keep the economy going, but I doubt it makes them truly happy.
Well, excuse me, but what good will that do? It's nothing but a sad and stupid waste. If it is important not to profit from these clothes, take the labels off and give the clothes away, or sell the clothes and give the money to charity.
Anyway, what's so evil about child labour, eh? Let the kids work. It's the Third World, and they don't have Playstations to keep them busy. As long as the work it not too dangerous, and the children are not prevented from getting any schooling, there's no reason why they shouldn't work. Children in the rich West have long summer holidays, and it seems to have been forgotten that the reason for these holidays was, historically, so that the children could help out on the farm in the run-up to harvest. Now our children work full time as professional consumers. It helps keep the economy going, but I doubt it makes them truly happy.
2007/10/27
James Watson Retires, and I'm Sad About it
I wish somehow the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory could have ridden the storm of bad PR over Dr. Watson's remarks about race and IQ. The criticism was, after all, quite unfair, and it is now unfair that such a brilliant mind should be forced to retire under a cloud, on top of everything else, when he's done nothing wrong.
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