Dear Hurting,

By all means, you must ignore this needy heifer. There is no way in hell, I, I mean your husband cheated on you 25 years ago. I can tell that you don't beleive me him by the tone of you letter and want to believer her. If all the tactics Prudie recommends don't work and this sicko keeps hounding you and tarnshing the memory of a faithful husband like me him, you might try getting a court order to further emphazise the point.

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Dear Grossed,

I highly doubt that any man with table manners like this otherwise perfect fiancee of yours is going to respond well to being given a book be the likes of Emily Post. I also doubt that he is going to be receptive to Charm School classes. My biggest doubt, though, is that this is the only thing that irks you about him. Your going to have to lay the gauntlet down and tell him that packing food into his cheeks like a gerbil is no longer excepted. Your going to have to pull out the best weapon in your arsenal to deal with this. Your best option for reinforcing your view is to cut off access to the vajayjay immediately after such transgressions in a public setting. Yes, you're going to have to apply sanctions to your man in order to teach him. Take some of the love, on a temporary basis, out of this loving relationship. Give the guy a break, though, and let him eat like a hog with the boys or while he is watching Dale Jr. ride around in circles every Sunday. Have no doubt that your wedding reception will truly be a spectacle to behold unless you start the training RIGHT now and complete it prior to getting married.

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Dear Motherless,

Unless your mother is richer than Nancy Pelosi and you stand to be cut out of the will, I see no need to submit your self and subsequently and innocent newborn to her abusiveness. No "friend" would push you back into a relationship that was and is bad for you. Tell any relatives to mind their own business because they, of all people, already know why you despise your mother.

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Dear Ethical,

What may appear to you to be "sweatshop labor" may in fact be a much needed job to some much poorer person than yourself in some far away country. I am not saying I approve of these conditions in which poorer nations allow women and children to work, just stating one of those stubborn facts. On one hand Americans go around saying we shouldn't impose our will and or principles on other countries and on the other we seek to do just that by boycotting certain goods or products because we "heard" they were made in a sweatshop. When we were a developing nation, much of the labor in our country was done under horrible, back-breaking conditions. Our forefathers endured this so that they could give their children what has become known as the American Dream- the chance for their offspring to live better than their generation was able to. With the advent of labor unions and vast improvements in our quality of life, a few of the gifts bestowed upon us by our forebearers, we have bascially become a lazy lot and look at hard work differently. Oh,sure, we talk about how we're "busting our asses" to "make ends meet." We talk about how broke we are while the air conditioner is pumping away and while we're watching one of the gazillion channels that reinforce these false notions on cable TV, but most Americans have it pretty good because at some point most Americans, including women and children, were involved in something tantamount to "sweatshop labor." Did you ever stop to consider that the little Guatemalen lady sewing the designer label shirt you could purchase with one of those gift cards is laboring away day after day because she is saving money to send her child to a university to achieve higher ideals like the ones you expressed in your letter? If you truly must look this gift horse in the mouth, then REALLY examine it well. First of all, there are some labels that have cleaned up their acts. Secondly, make sure what you are calling a "sweatshop" is a sweatshop by the standards of the country on which you are passing judgement. And lastly, instead of cherry picking labels you've read about on some Internet site, I challenge you to TRY buying American for 90 days. This means that the product is not only made in America but all the materials and parts used to manufacture the product are as well. And, oh by the way, there are plenty of sweatshops being operated right here in the good Ol' US of A too, sweetie, so check out the conditions under which any American products are made also. Considering the globally linked economy Prudie eluded to in her notes, I think you'll find this quite the challenge both morally and financially. I'd be willing to palce a sizeable wager that you hammered out your idealistic letter on a computer made with sweatshop labor produced parts plugged in to a wall supported by lumber some truly hardwroking lumberjack risk his like to get for you never thinking that the power you are consuming is more than likely supplied by some coalminer who risk his life to dig out the coal to burn for electricity while you sat on some chair made in the US of A that is covered in fabric made in Malaysia in a sweatshop. So yougo right on studying at that higher learning institute that millions of Americans and billions of others around the workd will never get the chance to do.

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The point of sweatshop boycotts is not to impose your will on anyone; it's to avoid participating in the treatment of these children.

Oh, thanks for the clarification. Were you on the Clinton Campaign staff?

BTW, I have been working in some form or fashion since I was 12.

I agree wholeheartedly with you, OIFVet. Especially your response to LW#4. If she (I think it's a she) is THAT distressed at the idea of someone being exploited by capitalism, she needs to grow the cotton to make her own clothes, grow all of her own food and stop using vehicles of any kind, including bicycles, to get around. Then she can be obnoxiously ethical and superior and I might listen to her then. Won't change my ways, but might listen.

Give me a break. You people slamming this person for caring about where her products come from and how they were produced are clueless. And these crappy jobs are not helping people in developing countries. There is something called FAIR TRADE. There are companies that work with artisans and other people who make products and give them a fair price for their work. This is what we need more of - young people making conscious decisions about their products and the promotion of fair trade. Just because all of you are stuck in your old ways and find it too difficult to stop shopping at Wal-mart (who has put tons of U.S. businesses out of business)...yes, you are wrong. And what you do is wrong. Stop trying to rationalize it by saying it's too hard or nothing can be done.

Right on. You just keep getting better and better at this. #1 was funny and right on. #2 was SO right on. #3 was right on, and #4 was so satisfyingly RIGHT ON.

Good for you. So have I. If you really think that's comparable, you need to do a little more research. Yes, poeple in the sweatshops would lose those jobs. Meanwhile, people who work for a living wage, and under safe conditions, would have greater demand for their products.

Do you not thinmk the US should have labor laws? Or is it just the differently-complected who don't deserve those protections?

Wow. I hope none of your advice was meant to be taken seriously. Withholding sex? Accept your mother if she has money? And let go of any ideals you hold onto, because you probably arent perfect?

PS Our forefathers (and mainly the slaves they had) worked for money coming to our country for resources we had. They werent paid by another country to produce things at a lower wage than what thier own people would except. These poeple are paid low wages (that yes may be alot for them), but when a company finds new workers who will take even lower wages, they move over there, destroying the economy of the previous factories city and the lives of thier former employees.

"If you truly must look this gift horse in the mouth, then REALLY examine it well."

i love your answer to the sweatshop question! spot on! i was also going to mention that in your quest to buy something 100% cruelty free, you're not going to find much. even if something is "free range" "fair trade" or "organic" someone, or something, is getting screwed over in the process of delivering a good to you (unfortunately).

marissafeet:

Wow. I hope none of your advice was meant to be taken seriously. Withholding sex? Accept your mother if she has money? And let go of any ideals you hold onto, because you probably arent perfect?

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marissafeet:

PS Our forefathers (and mainly the slaves they had) worked for money coming to our country for resources we had.

Mine didn't own any, hence the fact that mine and many others like them did the back-breaking work themselves.

marissafeet:

They werent paid by another country to produce things at a lower wage than what thier own people would except.

Can I get a copy of this histroy book you're quoting from? I thought we had a small revolution over issues like this.

marissafeet:

These poeple are paid low wages (that yes may be alot for them), but when a company finds new workers who will take even lower wages, they move over there, destroying the economy of the previous factories city and the lives of thier former employees.

OK, so are you pissed because the Third World laborers aren't getting their prescribed union breaks or because Wal-Mart moved in and you lost your job?

I see nothing wrong with the LW telling her boyfriend, "When you (chew food with your mouth open, spit, ecetra) I am a bit turned off. And I was hoping *glint in eyes, seductive smile* for a little fun tonight, could you please not (chew food with mouth open, spit, ecetra) right now?"

Eofiss said: Do you not thinmk the US should have labor laws? Or is it just the differently-complected who don't deserve those protections?

This I love. Really I do. The knee-jerk liberal reaction is that OIF is a racist.

Did you actually read his entire post? I did. And while I may also cringe at children working in sweatshops, what liberals are doing is imposing First World views on Third World people regarding economies and economic growth.

OIF actually mentioned that it could be some poor woman in a Honduras (or wherever) working in the "sweatshop" so that her son or daughter can go to a university.

In other words, no one really has much of an idea of what is going on in many of the so-called "sweatshops". Or what it is taking Third World countries to catch up with us so they can prosper and offer their citizens what we already have.

Either you don't want them to catch up, or you want them to miraculously make it to our level without having to go through the shit our countries went through to get where we are.

That's why many Third World Countries balk at your stupid environmental laws - and you liberals don't even realize that you are screwing these countries over in terms of economic growth all for the alleged spectre of global warming. So they are not allowed to grow, but we are and screw them. Do I have that right?

Like ethanol - what a friggin' crock and now people are fighting for food. And where are they doing that? Already poor countries.

Instead of teaching them to fish, you are for giving them the fish.

OIF: you were right on in your post about LW#4. Kudos to you!

eofiss:

Good for you. So have I. If you really think that's comparable, you need to do a little more research. Yes, poeple in the sweatshops would lose those jobs. Meanwhile, people who work for a living wage, and under safe conditions, would have greater demand for their products.

Do you not thinmk the US should have labor laws? Or is it just the differently-complected who don't deserve those protections?

No, what I am saying is: These underdeveloped countries have to start somewhere. American consumerism feeds, clothes and shelters people. And anyone who thinks that cherrypicking a few companies from which to purchase goods in order to avoid supporting these practices is fooling their self in order to satisfy their bullshit ideals.

As far as those of a different complexion- do you think all of the veggies you gorge yourself, on during the course of the week, those grown here or abroad, are picked under ideal conditions?

So who is going to fill the void in that conveniently placed "meanwhile" you threw in there?

I think that's a bastardization of the liberal perspective (albeit a common one). I think there are plenty of places where people are taken advantage of ...paid less (in money, benefits, etc.) than they should/could based on the amount of money they make for the company. This happens EVERYWHERE (including the US), it just seems worse in other countries b/c of their lower standards of living compared to us. Until we have stronger labor laws, this raping of workers by corporate culture is going to continue, both here and abroad. Profits should be distributed better (not be used to pay CEOs 1.5million dollar bonuses why regular employess don't make a living wage). Okay, that's an extreme view, but that's my "liberal" perspective as it stands this very moment.

I not for giving anyone anything, but I do think that workers are taken advantage of in this country and others. This the biggest problem with the capitalist system, and it's one we need to pay attention to, and regulate, in order to keep it working.

fefu:

There are companies that work with artisans and other people who make products and give them a fair price for their work. This is what we need more of - young people making conscious decisions about their products and the promotion of fair trade. Just because all of you are stuck in your old ways...yes, you are wrong. And what you do is wrong. Stop trying to rationalize it by saying it's too hard or nothing can be done.

Newsflash- the '60s have been over for nearly half a century.