The article that I chose to write about is someone in favor of sweatshops. His name is Benjamin Powell and he is in defense of sweatshops. He believes that we in American society chose not to work in sweatshops because of the working conditions and low pay. In the defense of sweatshops Powell concludes that it’s much better than the alternatives that are offered. He uses an example of children being laid off in Bangladesh and then resulting in prostitution. Powell argues that children workers in Honduras that earn $3.10 a day on a 10 hour shift, should be happy because their alternative would pay less. He says that you can-not compare U.S. alternatives to Honduras alternatives. In his research on alternatives to sweatshop workers, sweatshop workers earn more than the average worker in their country. Then Powell goes on to explain his method of research. The Powell goes on to explain how the methods of anti-sweat shop groups would do nothing to make workers more productive. Workers are at risk of losing more for better treatment. One they can be thrown into worse alternative conditions or laying off workers and lowering wages. So in result for better conditions for sweatshop workers it will worsen their current state. He then goes on to argue the testimonial by Charles Kernaghan on worker’s rights across the world and improving conditions for millions of people. This treatment will create a leveled global economical playing field for American and global workers to compete. Powell believes that sweatshops are not only better than the current worker alternative but they are also the process of development that ultimately raises living standards. He feels that sweatshop companies bring technology and physical capital to workers. They are better off now than before with all the technology and capital offered to them. His closing statement is “what the third world so badly needs is more sweatshop jobs, not fewer.”
http://www.econlib.org/library/Columns/y2008/Powellsweatshops.html
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