Blog Post Numero Uno: Using our Purchasing Power/Disposable People

Using our Purchasing Power:
1. "In conventional trade the producer generally receives only 1 to 5% of the retail price that the consumer pays, whereas in Fair Trade the producer usually gets 20-30%" (Hoffhine and Farrell, pg. 7).

This article was an eye opener for me. Before entering this course, i had no idea what in the world fair trade was. I mean for me it was either equal trade or trading at a fair. Jokes aside, it was ridiculous to see how unequal and how terrible the industries that run America treat the "enslaved" work force they use for their products. Although fair trade is not charity it allows for people to gain something valuable. To have pride and to bring home money and prosperity to their low income families. Fair trade brings life to families on the verge of death, and yet our society takes something brilliant as fair trade and corrupts it. I mean numerous companies say they are fair trade companies however in reality they are just companies that use the title as a namesake. They use it to gain more customers, sort of like how there are "organic" brands. Overall this article was a great read and it was an amazing introduction to something i could not even grasp at first.

Disposable People:
1. 27 million slaves in the world today more then any other time in history.
2. $90 is the average cost for a human slave around the world.

Overall, the disposable people article surprised me however to be honest we should not be expecting anything different. I mean throughout history slavery has been a commonplace and in theory slavery is part of the human condition. Not to generalize, but on a macroscopic level humans being live on slavery. Maybe it is not direct slavery however, people are slaves to their jobs, their families, their duties. Slavery is a social construct that has been with humanity since the dawn of time. Yes, i understand that direct slavery is a horrid and disgusting thing, but just look at the world around us. A beautiful place yes, but a world that is corrupt to its core. Today slavery ranges from 12 to 27 millions, which includes child slaves, sex slaves, and a wide variety of physical labor slaves. We cannot however overlook as i mentioned before the men and women who are slaves to society. Slaves to the social constructs that this world has created. Hopefully in the years to come we can bring an end to all slavery, but maybe that's naive and slavery will always exist.

More blog posts in this category Common

• The Wound & the Blessing/The Economy of Communion Project Post
• The Crest- Jewel of Wisdom & Work as a Spiritual Practice Post
• "What Money Can't Buy" Blog Post
• Blog Post Ni: FTRN Booklet & Arithmetic of Passion
• Work as a Spiritual Practice (The Transformation of Work)