West African here too. This is too simplistic, and a problem can have multiple guilty parties. There is enough blame to go around.
> we, not they, commit these boys and girls to these activities, of our own volition.
We can judge people's choices without taking in consideration the context and the options that they have. The alternative to not sending those young people to work is them starving, or not going to school.
> if child labor is bad, we don’t need mars and the rest of the world to tell us so. we should be civilized enough to get ourselves out of the ongoing era of barbarism and brutishness that has plagued the continent. fuck!
Child labor is the best solution within a see of worst solutions to a complex problem. Having talked and knowing people in similar conditions, every parent naturally wants they kids to have an easy and better life. That's not being civilized it's just being human. Saddly those parent can not afford the luxury of giving that to their parent.
> it’s a fucked up society that looks to hold an external party responsible for ills within itself.
The economical situation in African countries is complex and multivariate. And yes the governments are usually corrupt and ineffective. But the failed policies of international bodies such as the IMF or world banks, the complicity of european banks in money laundering. The meddling of international companies that are happy to support which ever dictatorship du-jour suit their needs best are definitely not helping.
> it’s not the business of mars (m&m makers) to ensure that no children are exploited during the production of the cocoa beans
They made it their business by participating in it.
> americans shouldn’t eat their chocolate with some trepidation that they might be eating the body and blood of a 5-yo.
No... It's a personal choice. If some people can become vegan out of compassion of animals, we should be able to avoid chocolate out of compassion our fellow human beings even if they happen to not be from the same country.
> we, not they, commit these boys and girls to these activities, of our own volition.
We can judge people's choices without taking in consideration the context and the options that they have. The alternative to not sending those young people to work is them starving, or not going to school.
> if child labor is bad, we don’t need mars and the rest of the world to tell us so. we should be civilized enough to get ourselves out of the ongoing era of barbarism and brutishness that has plagued the continent. fuck!
Child labor is the best solution within a see of worst solutions to a complex problem. Having talked and knowing people in similar conditions, every parent naturally wants they kids to have an easy and better life. That's not being civilized it's just being human. Saddly those parent can not afford the luxury of giving that to their parent.
> it’s a fucked up society that looks to hold an external party responsible for ills within itself.
The economical situation in African countries is complex and multivariate. And yes the governments are usually corrupt and ineffective. But the failed policies of international bodies such as the IMF or world banks, the complicity of european banks in money laundering. The meddling of international companies that are happy to support which ever dictatorship du-jour suit their needs best are definitely not helping.
> it’s not the business of mars (m&m makers) to ensure that no children are exploited during the production of the cocoa beans
They made it their business by participating in it.
> americans shouldn’t eat their chocolate with some trepidation that they might be eating the body and blood of a 5-yo.
No... It's a personal choice. If some people can become vegan out of compassion of animals, we should be able to avoid chocolate out of compassion our fellow human beings even if they happen to not be from the same country.