Posted by Rick Denney on February 23, 2004 at 23:52:58:
In Reply to: Re: Ebay Tuba - That bad? posted by John Swadley on February 23, 2004 at 17:49:25:
I had to ask the same question when I bought a Czech horn in 1985 when they were still well and truly Communists.
In the end, though, I'd far rather buy their products and let the proceeds of commerce feed their starving masses than just give them aid. More of the commerce actually gets to the worker.
And most workers in such circumstances think those jobs are a big step up from their previous circumstances. I think we have to be careful not to make value judgements on what they do compared with the quality of life we have come to expect in the wealthy West. I fear that often the result of our efforts to help them end up putting them out of work altogether. For all the ranting about globalization of trade, it has kept more people from starving in those countries than any other strategy. It's the first of many steps that they need, but real progress doesn't come without that first step. We didn't get there all at once either.
Rick "thinking $6 a day is better than $1 a week" Denney