This is important. On an absolute scale, sweatshop jobs are not great jobs. But they are better than many of the jobs that most of humanity has worked over the centuries, both in terms of labor and reward.
Many people are enthusiastic about eliminating sweatshop jobs. Eliminating bad options does not create better ones. If a sweatshop job is the least bad option around, and you eliminate it without creating a better option, you have just worsened someone’s life.
I wouldn’t want to work in a sweatshop. I don’t want anyone to need to work in a sweatshop. But we should recognize that bad options are the best options available when all the other options are even worse. You can’t just get rid of bad things. You must also create something better to replace them.
This is important. On an absolute scale, sweatshop jobs are not great jobs. But they are better than many of the jobs that most of humanity has worked over the centuries, both in terms of labor and reward.
Many people are enthusiastic about eliminating sweatshop jobs. Eliminating bad options does not create better ones. If a sweatshop job is the least bad option around, and you eliminate it without creating a better option, you have just worsened someone’s life.
I wouldn’t want to work in a sweatshop. I don’t want anyone to need to work in a sweatshop. But we should recognize that bad options are the best options available when all the other options are even worse. You can’t just get rid of bad things. You must also create something better to replace them.