Fair

Hmmm they say reading is a window on the world.  Sometimes I do not find the view pleasant.  Informing yes.  Pleasant no.
I was reading something not designed to invoke a guilt-trip, but it could so easily have.  It was a bit about the poor and the clothing industry.  Somewhere else I heard that a good deal of our landfill is clothing.
The thing that got me thinking was that once our clothing industry was mostly self-produced.  But then the production of clothing went overseas to third world countries.  Clothing can be produced much cheaper there.  Approximately one in six people worldwide is involved in clothing production.  That is a lot of people.  Around 1.5 billion.
It is interesting to me that approximately 80% of those producing clothing are women.  Less then 2% get a living wage for having to work 6 and 7 days a week.
No wonder we cannot compete.  We are up against cheap labour.  Another word may be exploitation.  All to keep me living in the lifestyle to which I have become accustom. 
I have no problem enjoying nice things.  I reckon a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work.  I do have a problem though enjoying nice things at the expense of other people.  Bit like the milk producers.  It is not something I say easily but I really do not paying a little more knowing that all that have brought me the nice thing, have been treated fairly.
It does sadden me to think that injustice seems to be the default position of many.  I would prefer not to need to chose to do the right thing because the right thing is being done.  It seems though that often to do the right thing is to buck against the trend.
I ask myself “now I know what the real cost of many nice things are how do I change it?”  Those that know me know that I think this sort of thing will remain a problem to the end of the age.  Yet on my part I am comfortable with little changes on my part.  I cannot determine another’s actions, but I can determine mine.