social consciousness and self-interest

dov charney owns a t-shirt factory that doesn't use sweatshop labor, but he doesn't market it that way. he chooses to market his shirts based on their sex appeal instead. when asked why he doesn't appeal to customers' sense of ethics and mercy, he says:

''That's the problem with the antisweatshop movement,'' he says, snapping the book closed. ''You're not going to get customers walking into stores by asking for mercy and gratitude. Appeal to people's self-interest.''

this comment speaks for itself, but just let me say: sweatshop activists are movivated by the same interest as the rest of us: their own. and, in this case in particular, we're not the worse off for it (unless you have a moral opposition to sexy t's, that is)

Labels: economics