The Footwear Industry

[allofus]

I have been doing a little bit of research into the 'footwear industry' and wanted to share some of the things I have found.

Footwear is big business
In the UK alone the footwear industry has a 6.5 billion income.
Quote from the British Footwear Association (BFA) WebSite Homepage. http://www.britfoot.com/

Footwear is an important sector in the country with around £6bn of footwear sold to UK consumers and another half a billion pounds exported around the world.

Today some 9000 people are directly employed in UK Companies.

Let's do a little bit of math.
6,500,000,000 pounds (£) GROSS
but let's be realistic and also generous, leaning towards the industry and suggest they only have a 10% profit margin instead of the average of 15% which we all know can in reality be several 100's % markup on a product when cost, tax and profit is all said and done.
Anyway

10% of 6,500,000,000 = 650,000,000
650 million.
÷
9000 workers
=
72,222

Just over £72 thousand each, yea right!!!

Minimum wage in the UK is £5.50 per hour and clearly the vast majority of the 9,000 employees will be on or close to the minimum wage. Again let's be generous and double this figure.
£11 per hour.


72,222
÷
11 = 6565.65 hrs
÷
37 hrs EU legal working week = 177 weeks.

177 weeks ÷ a 52 week year = 3.4 years.

Conclusion = a few people are clearly making huge sums of money out of the footwear industry, even being generous with figures we are talking about a handful of people earning 2.4yrs wages for every man or woman they employ.

Thanks to the BFA these few people are not even needing to do their own dirty work, that is the role of the BFA. It is the job of the rich to sit pretty and get rich. It is the BFA's role to sway the politics, bung the policy makers and try to imply that the fortune of a few is extremely important due to the vast number of people who are barely eking a living and the big numbers involved.

It is our role in this chain to, well wear the chains. Buy from the chains and not even notice the chains are present.

The U.K is absolutely not an exception to this rule;
The U.S.A equivalent of the BFA is the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA). Another lobby group established to protect, preserve and nourish those greedy pockets of a similar, if not same few!

Quote from the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) Website Homepage. http://www.apparelandfootwear.org/

AAFA promotes and seeks to enhance members companies’ competitiveness, productivity and profitability in the global marketplace.

See I told you... Their words are far more forgiving than mine though!

According to AAFA data the footwear market is $59.2 billion. Another huge number.
Under 'resources' on the AAFA website there is a 'statistics' pdf for 2007/8. I have also attached the file to the bottom of this article. http://www.apparelandfootwear.org/UserFiles/File/S...

Quote from AAFA 2007/8 Shoe Stats pdf (ShoeStats2008_0808.pdf attached below)

U.S. footwear consumption, as measured by Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE), increased at its slowest pace in years in 2007, growing only 1.9 percent to $59.2 billion. That increase, however, coupled with the decline in the volume of shoes consumed in 2007, portend growing price pressures for the industry.

Telling words
U.S footwear consumption, Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE).... Little to nothing is stated of need in all of the literature I have read, only consumption. Was this a write-up on energy or water there would be needs and availability, but not here, just consumption, profit, placement, producer and there is good reason for this. The footwear industry overall, excluding certain career needs, steel-toe boots, moon boots for example the rest is purely profit driven. Hype like fashion is used to encourage consumption, but almost every single pair of shoes sold is a want not a need.

No?

Ask yourself this.
Q. how many pairs of footwear do you have?
Q. how many are similar, more than 1 pair of trainers, more than 1 pair of boots, more than 1 pair of high heels?
Q. how many pairs of footwear can you wear at any one time?
Q. have you ever gone to the local shop without footwear?

Q. CONSUMPTION or NEED?

I understand desires and variety is said to be the spice of life but let's take a look at where your spice of life came from.

According to the AAFA document mentioned above, as well as this section in 'resources';

http://www.apparelandfootwear.org/Resources/ChinaBusinessResources.asp

China Business Resources
Find information for individuals and corporations seeking assistance in doing business in China.

China is not the only, but one of the largest manufacturers of footwear in the world.
The China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Textiles (CCCT) is the Chinese equivalent of the BFA or the AAFA. They are involved in overseeing 70% + of China’s import and export trade in textile and clothing. Now we get into really big numbers. China and other far east nations, but mainly China also export to all nations in the EU, Canada, Russia, Australia to name a few.

A trillion dollar industry? I could not tell you honestly, when I have tried to find data related to China I may have found it but my Mandarin is rather rusty to say the least.

I reasonably estimate that the footwear exports that China are involved with are in excess of 0.5 Trillion with another 1.5 to 2 trillion in other clothing and textiles, or maybe more because the 2 figures above of 6.5 + 59.2 billions respectably are figures related mainly to 2 'lobby groups' and are not fully representative of the actual market. 6.5 is pounds also, not dollars. Up to 10 billion dollars depending on exchange.

CCCT apparently do have a website but either it is down or my IP/range is not allowed to see it right now. I did try. http://www.ccct.org.cn

If you get a better access please do share the content and if you used a proxy or other spoofing technology to break through the great firewall of china you would be doing a great service to us all if you shared your methods, all legal of course, wink, wink.


Anyway where I am going with this now is not relevant to what the CCCT has to say because there is little to no chance that the truth about their 70%+ market is featured on their site. Yes there are likely big numbers and a 'do no evil', you know like google who installed the firewall that might just be blocking me right now... type motto alongside pledges to protect workers rights and provide competitive market sourcing.


I call BS and I have not even seen their website. Yes I know that I am being very presumptuous, but I have also taken a look at UNICEF, amnesty international and other sources.

 

[allofus]

The Footwear Industry - p2

Ok, I connected to their website, did not want to delete all that stuff.

http://www.ccct.org.cn/information_en/index.jsp as the url indicates this is in English (_en)


Exploitation
The primary reason why China is the largest manufacturer of footwear, as well as many other products is cost. There are viable workers unions in China but all are overseen by the state-sponsored All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) so it remains uncertain as to whether workers are actually being represented or China has ticked a box which says they must be if they are all members of a union, right stupid!.

There are however many sources that suggest that Chinese workers are exploited on a grand scale. Why would a Chinesee person subject themselves to such exploitation.


Poverty
Quote, p29 of Human Development Report, China (NHDR2008_en.pdf attached below) which I found on the United Nations Development Programme, China website. http://www.undp.org.cn

2000-present: This period has seen important policy shifts, with China seeking to balance development gains between urban and rural areas and across different regions. In 2001, it formulated the Programme for the Development of Rural Poverty Reduction 2001-2010. With the implementation of strategies on building the new countryside, and developing the western and central regions, China has pursued a balanced anti-poverty strategy. The number of people in rural poverty has continued to drop, from 29.27 million in 2001 to 14.79 million in 2007.

If you read the pdf and other supporting materials you will find a very promising trend. 250+ million people in abject poverty 30 yrs ago which has been reduced to 14.79 million maybe even less today. BTW By poverty they are referring in this instance to the number of people living on $1 or less a day.

I suspect that 3 things have caused this huge reduction from 250+ to 14- millions in poverty.

1. The Chinese economy has been growing year in, year out for over 20 years and is still considered by most to be the fastest growing economy in the world. India / China maybe too close to call. This is great, right? Exploitation aside, yes I assume it to be a good thing. More money going in means more buying power and more to go around in principle but 'trickle down economics was a scam pulled by maggy thatcher and we all know what rolls down hills. The trickle never came!

2. $1 30 years ago was not the same as $1 today. Would you rather live on $1 today or 30 yrs ago if you had to do one or the other? Put it this way. 30 years ago $1 would buy you a silver dollar. Today they are selling at approx $15 if they are not full of copper.

3. China has recently been accused (again) of having an undervalued currency. As much as 30%. That is great if you are buying, woot more for less but the poor rural guy just gets less.

Unemployment
This next paragraph will point another finger of doubt at the above figure of 14- million in poverty and deserves explanation.

Quote BBC News "China warns of unemployment risk" (Friday, 27 February 2009) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7915372.stm

Commerce Minister Chen Deming told the BBC that when economic growth slowed "the chances of possible social unrest increase as well".

Mr Chen also said China was taking steps to improve social security.

He made his remarks as British and Chinese firms signed trade deals worth $1.9bn (£1.3bn).

About 10 million migrant workers have lost their jobs in China as the global economic slowdown has deepened.

"I don't worry a lot about the GDP growth, however the biggest challenge to China is unemployment," the minister said.

So how many people are unemployed in China? 10 million lost their jobs but only 14 million are in poverty? The point I am trying to make here is that poverty is just a statistic being presented to a global consumer market. A bar is set and the aim of the spin is to set that bar so low that as few people as possible are considered to be in poverty. If the bar is $1. And there are millions of people on $0.99 you can reduce this figure by millions by getting $0.02 to millions of people.

Tell me this, would your life be better if you had an extra $0.02 a day in your pocket? Just think of all the food you could buy with that and then there is medicare, education, clothing, shelter and fuel. At current fuel prices I doubt you could even smell $0.02 of gasoline, let alone use it to keep you warm in the winter.

Communist Dictatorship
The Communist Party of China (CPC) ( http://www.gov.cn/english/ ) is not just the largest political party in China and indeed the world but it is the only political party in China with any prospect of governing. Alternatives are discouraged and do a quick search for "Chinese Political Prisoners" or "persecution of falun gong in china" and you will soon find that the CPC have ways of managing opposition.

The CPC is the largest employer in the world. They have the largest military in the world at their disposal. They have the largest police force in the world at their disposal and they also have the worlds most elaborate internet / communications censoring filters in the world. They oversee more executions of prisoners than the rest of the world combined but where the rest of the world is concerned they are no doubt historically one of, if not the least aggressive nation. Tibet is an obvious exception, but China are not historically or currently a nation at war. I wanted to add this because my intention is not to deamonize China. Actually the CPC do at least appear to be gradually moving in a direction that is right and if you compare with the likes of Big Brother Britain or Patriotic America who are clearly going in the wrong direction let us all not be too quick to judge.

As I wrote a couple of days ago RE: food... Is it the fault of the farmer for poor conditions or his / her million customers? blame is easy, responsibility is different though.

Working Conditions
What do I really need to say here? "Sweat Shops" a phrase we will all understand, but what does it really mean?

The phrase implies heat and indeed if you happen to be using machinery that require heat, making rubber souls for shoes being an example. Hot liquid rubber being moulded into shape, handled whilst still hot and surrounded by metallic machinery that not only radiates heat, but will cause damaging and painful burns to the skin if accidentally touched whilst manoeuvring in your cramped work space, all without adequate protective clothing of course. There are countless other examples. Injection / vacuum moulding with plastics to make toys for a Mc'Donalds happy meal, or that latest plastic Disney Character you just have to buy for your spoiled rotten child. Di-Cast metals also. Things like Tonka Trucks, toy cars. Actually the list is enormous. Anything that contains plastics / polymers, metal, enamel and has a made in china stamp. This includes toys, electrical office / white / telecommunications, household appliances, utensils, tools, furniture, garden equipment and so on and so on. An exhaustive list of products that require "sweat shop" conditions to get that must have 'thing' to you at a so-called affordable price.

Heat is just one condition that in my view is not the underlying issue.

Did you know that millions of Chinese workers are either taken from or assisted with moving from rural areas to newly built factories? Often they are moved away from their village whilst the factory is built where they used to live, only to be given / allocated a job in said factory. Most of these so-called urban developments have small living quarters built on site. Small as in 8" / 6". About the size of a prison cell in the U.K.

Workers are not usually forced to live in these quarters nor are they forced to eat from the workers canteen, the trouble is that their wages are not high enough to do anything else. Once they have paid for their provided room and meals they have nothing left to live and enjoy their life with. The wages are too low for them to rent a property or buy their own food so they are left with no realistic choice.

Averaging 60 hours a week just to be able to afford to stay on their work site and survive. They exist to work, they work to eat.

Back to the initial question of why do the Chinese Workers put up with this?

The answer is alarmingly simple. They realise that they are the lucky ones. Millions starving and out of work in every province. For millions the choice becomes a simple choice, shut up, work hard or perish.



1 line to imply a thousand words.

This does NOT exclude CHILDREN, Child Labour...............



These conditions are not the 'rule' there are apparently a growing number of exceptions, as stated already China at least publically does seem to be moving in the right direction. Taking tentative steps towards a more humane, transparent and 'civilised' way of life.



Solutions

First of all I want you to realise something;

'PPP $1 > income' = starving to death, maybe slowly, but a really , really, really bad place to be. 'PPP $1 > income + $0.01' is the same f_cking place but somehow does not count!!!!

What I have discovered in my research is that many of the so-called developing nations, including China have far too many, MILLIONS existing and dying in 'PPP $1 > income' despite the fact that the bulk of the list are the main arteries of our 'Global Economies'. The produce our goods, source our minerals, precious metals, oil, etc, etc and we pay a kings ransom in comparison whilst the literally die a slow death.

 

[allofus]

Re: The Footwear Industry p3 of 3

I know this article is about the footwear industry but OMFG people. The imbalance is cruel to say the least. I have realised, or more accurately had re-enforced a reality here, our apparent good life is killing tens of millions of people. I have literally broken down in tears several times whilst researching this topic. It saddens me just to be using this keyboard and fairly 'high spec PC right now because I now more than ever realise that it's production has almost certainly caused the pain and suffering of countless men, women and children. There may be 1000 components that have involved 10 or more countries, 3 or 4 thousand people and the only person who got a good deal was the corporation I bought it from. The BRAND. I thought I got a good deal, but now I realise each and every letter on my keyboard represents the name of someone who has suffered to get it in my pretty home.

If we are the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) (mentioned above) and have the purchasing power parity (PPP) (mentioned in NHDR2008_en.pdf) then we also have a responsibility.

You have PPP. You have the power to do something about this situation. Every single purchase / investment that you make, that is you wielding your PPP, or more to the point wielding the ability to bring someone else out of PPP. Or sadly giving it away to greedy tyrants who expect nothing less of a selfish fool like you??

Your PPP is bundled up into statistics that the likes of the BFA, AAFA, CCCT, CPC and UN use to justify their actions. You gave them permission along with your PPP.

You can effect change here, you are 1 number in a statistical justification, the PCE. PERSONAL. You personally decide what to do with your PPP. The name PCE is deliberate. To call this a personal consumption is rightly passing the blame to you the consumer.

PPP-lease consider what you are doing the next time you decide to buy those adorable high heels, super cool sneakers / trainers / pumps, elegant brogues or sexy slip-ons.

Thanks for reading this article, it has taken me a few days to compile and longer to research. You may think that I have made a few assumptions whilst writing this article so I am adding some more information for further reading and consideration below. Please do review the information if you have time, do some research on the underlying aspects of this topic and draw your own conclusions.

Thanks.

- MattG



Further reading;
WIKI Sweatshops = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweatshop

Primark linked to UK sweatshops - BBC = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7824291.stm

UNICEF - Our priorities in China = http://www.unicef.org/china/about_642.html

BFA Statistics = http://www.britfoot.com/documents/Footwear Stati... (attached)

AAFA Statistics = http://www.apparelandfootwear.org/statistics.asp

CCCT - China's industrial profit more than doubled in Q1 = http://www.ccpittex.com/eng/news/41571.html

Industrial enterprises in China's 24 regions reported combined profits of 690.8 billion yuan ($101.2 billion) in the first quarter, more than double the figure of the same period last year, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in a statement Wednesday.

PCE Explained - METHODOLOGY PAPERS: U.S National Income and Product Accounts = http://www.bea.gov/scb/pdf/national/nipa/methpap/m... (attached)

PPP Explained - Wisegeeks = http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-purchasing-power-p...

WIKI - Purchasing power parity (note: PPP is a normalisation that is then used to determine what $1 is comparatively worldwide, which was then used to figure out who is below that $1 threshold by the U.N and others! PPP is the standard, 'PPP $1 > income' is the issue stated here.)

PPP Global Table - UN - Proportion of population below $1 (PPP) per day = http://unstats.un.org/unsd/mdg/SeriesDetail.aspx?s...

This is not an exhaustive list, please do some research and try, as I am trying to find ways that I can better allocate what little expenditure I have.


Related Videos;
Santa's Workshop - Google Video = http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-6733564...

quote from google video - SANTA'S WORKSHOP takes you to the real world of China's toy factories. Workers tell us about long working hours, low wages, and dangerous work places. Those who protest or try to organize trade unions risk imprisonment.

Low labour costs attract more and more companies to China. Today more than 75% of our toys are made in China. But this industry takes its toll on the workers and on the environment.

The European (and American) buyers blame bad conditions on the Chinese suppliers. But they say that increasingly hard competition gives them no option. Who should we believe? And what can you do to bring about a fairer and more humane toy trade?

Chinese Government's Persecution Of Falun Gong - Google Video = http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-830725599... (unrelated, ish)

Beyond the Red Wall: The Persecution of Falun Gong - Google Video = http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-483995192... (also unrelated, ish)

 

[fractalfeline]

Being a person who doesn't learn from her mistakes the first time, I figure I'll go ahead and expose myself to the flames once again. We'll see what happens?

To answer your questions from the first post:
Q. how many pairs of footwear do you have?
A. 8.
Q. how many are similar, more than 1 pair of trainers, more than 1 pair of boots, more than 1 pair of high heels?
A. About 3 are similar. I have some old black tennis shoes, complete with holes, a newer pair of black tennis shoes to replace them, and some blue tennis shoes when I'm wearing jeans but don't want to wear black shoes. The other 5 are: red house slippers (gift), black sandals, some rain boots, black high heels, and some work pumps.
Q. how many pairs of footwear can you wear at any one time?
A. Well there's the pair on my feet, I could also wear some on my hands, and perhaps chain the rest to my belt. But that's not exactly fashionable.
Q. have you ever gone to the local shop without footwear?
A. Have you?
Q. CONSUMPTION or NEED?
A. Define need. Let me clarify:

See, I'm an American, and I'll be the first to admit that Americans tend to be a culture centered about fashion, youth, health, and fitness. When I was growing up, people got picked on if they only wore one pair of shoes, or always wore the same pair of pants, or had a limited wardrobe in any manner. And it doesn't change when you grow up either. If I'm going to an interview for a job, I need to be able to look nice and professional... I can't get away with having one pair of omni-use shoes. If I wear my tennis shoes to a job interview, do you think I'll be hired? If I wear my work shoes or high heels to go running in the park, you think I won't get foot pain and back problems? If I try to wear my work shoes on a rainy day, don't you think they'll be ruined? If I wear my house slippers to a hot date, you think my date will think highly of me?

But, perhaps I'm just a woman. Men can get away with one pair of brown generic looking shoes, and maybe a pair of tennis shoes, and they're done with it. Even better when the brown generic looking shoe is built somewhat like a boot, and is actually comfortable enough to be an omni-shoe. My fiancee has one such pair of omni-shoes. Ah, the days of high school, when I could get away with wearing my combat boots all the time, everywhere, and couldn't give a flying rats arse if anyone noticed if they were covered with mud and dust. Those were the days...

So yes, I need my shoes. I don't live in a culture that allows me to only have one pair of shoes. For every role I have to play, I have to have a different costume. Hell, now that I'm a medical student and transitioning to a professional career, I have a ton of different costumes. There's the home costume of comfy clothes, there's the work costume, with white coat and various arcane accessories, there's the student costume, the scrubs costume... if I were single, I'd need a Hot Chick costume too. You're not considered "professional" or "hot" unless you have a supply of make-up and hair products, and you're not considered "approachable" or "friendly" if you look "professional" while not at work.

Meanwhile, I'm wondering why you chose to target the footwear industry, of all things. I dare say, you can't live in Western culture without consenting to some consumption, and thereby the exploitation and greed of others. Hell, you couldn't even eat without wondering where the food comes from. Did you know, that here in America, most of our food stuff comes from the exploitation of foreign workers? Slash and burn agriculture in the tropics? Even right here in America, hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants are being exploited to work on the farms of Big Corporations that put food into my mouth. Plenty of immigrants from Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, come here looking for opportunities in the Promised Land, and when they get here, they are forced to work the most menial jobs, without the rights that citizens and legal residents have. It's essentially slave labor, planting crops, cleaning sewers, constructing roads and buildings (in the 37C/100F kind of weather), being the janitors... Where's the social justice there? Big Corporations can't even be bothered to train their workers in basic hygiene, so we end up with E. coli in our spinach and Salmonella in our peanut butter.

How about the child sex trade? Thailand, Romania, Africa, even right here in the USA, in places like California, where Vietnamese and Chinese refugees who spend their last scrap of money to get passage to the Western Shores, only to be sold as sex slaves once they get here?

Where does our food come from? Our clothes? Our TVs? Our radios? Our iPods? Our computers? Our hairbrushes? Toothbrushes? CDs? Dishes? Where does it all come from? OH that's right, every last good that you or I have comes from the exploitation of others, the impoverished and overused masses. How dare I eat this orange?

I sure wish I were rich enough right now to buy my own house, that has its own energy source (perhaps a windmill in the backyard), grow my own vegetables, raise my own animals, and have a fully electric-powered car that I can charge with that energy source of mine, being eco-friendly, self-sufficient, non-exploitive... but how many of us have that kind of money? How many of us have just enough to go to Wal-Mart to buy the things we need at super-cheap prices? Things imported from China and Thailand and who knows where, to be set up on display for Super Cheap Extra Low Prices, so maybe if I save a little money on groceries and clothes, I might have enough to take out a mortgage someday, or build a nest egg for retirement, or heaven forbid, have some savings built up just in case I lose my job to this crappy economy? Most people wish they were rich enough to uphold their ideals, but for most of us, it's just not possible. No one is expected to be Atlas, holding the entire planet on their shoulders, because if we did, we'd be so burdened by our guilt that we wouldn't be able to move, or breathe, or eat.

There are much bigger things that need to change, like the very structure of our culture, before we can expect any effort to be worth anything. I suppose all avalanches start with a few single special snowflakes getting together and deciding to move... Right now, I live in a country where my vote is worth zilch compared to the big lobbies that control politics. My voice is silenced by the Big Media Machine that tells me what to think, what to value, what to pay attention to, and how to feel about issues. I live in a country that believes it is perfectly ok to outsource jobs to countries that do not value freedom, justice, and human rights, and then import goods from these countries at a fraction of the cost it takes to produce it here. I live in a society that believes it is ok to lie, cheat, steal, and whatever else they can do to get ahead, as long as they are not the ones left holding the bag. Thus the bag keeps being passed along until the weight of the built up responsibilities crashes the whole shebang. And the next generation is left picking up the pieces. THIS needs to change. But... how? One shoe at a time?

On a lighter note, the etymology of the word "sabotage" comes from the root word "sabot" which is a wooden shoe. Bahahaha
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabotage

 

[allofus]

Hello fractalfeline,

Q. have you ever gone to the local shop without footwear?
A. Have you?
REPLY: All of the time.

I decided to write this article, not to single out the footwear industry, see from my other efforts here ( MattG ) that my general effort is one of invoking thought that can lead to change, plus the fact taht I don't wear shoes very often and as you might understand I get harassed by police and pointed at in the street and childish things like that. Review the industry and then who deserves being ostracised? Me or the oppressors?.

Far too many people, maybe even you assume that cultural, economic and ''traditional' well that's just the way it is' type excuses are enough to justify neglecting their own responsibilities when it comes to the degraded societies we live in.

We all play our part in this world. Each and every one of us should be responsible for our actions, our choices and the impact we make. 1 persona can suggest that they can do nothing, yet they do something every day.

I agree with you that circumstance demands that you 'dress up' or 'look smart' for that Job interview, that children tease the 'so-called' failure based or economics and that there are bigger picture stuff that deserves priority.

That does not however make it ok. If you are an adult and you do not know where the food you eat is coming from there is only 1 person to blame for that, if you do not mind funding exploitation then again that is a fault of yours and if you are searching for excuses not to change your ways you will certainly find them.

If however you are like a rapidly growing number of people who are seeking to be responsible and reduce your impact the first stage is always information. First you need to be aware of the negative impact before you can seek ways to reduce it.

I really like the snowflake thing you said.

6 billion people can either be part of the solutions or the problems and they alone can make that decision.

Of course I am not a hypocrite. As I pointed out in the OP. My pc has got blood on it so being responsible may involve ensuring that this pc never ends up in a landfill whilst it is still functional, repairing rather than replacing and eventually recycling.

Or I could throw it away and get that latest model so I can brag about my exploits to my peers.

The choice is mine to make.

Conform + Compete;
The underlying reason why children are taught to be so cruel to their buddies, they are competition and in order to make it in this world one has to seek out advantage and suppress opposition. APPARENTLY this is just how it has to be.

Not how I would raise my own children, nope.
Across the UK and USA there are parents doing overtime just to buy their child's next fashion footwear, only way they can afford it, but at what true cost?. Not realising that that overtime could be spent at home being a mum or a dad to a child that would benefit more from their parents being there than another pair of crisp, clean trainers that was almost certainly made for pennies in terrible conditions by a company that provides support for things like the Iraq War.

Remember that it is not your fault that 6 billion people make mistakes, but it is also not their fault that you make yours.

Responsibility is in every sense of the word what it is to be an 'adult' and I think it time more people started acting like adults.

 

[fractalfeline]

I decided to write this article, not to single out the footwear industry ... that my general effort is one of invoking thought that can lead to change, plus the fact taht I don't wear shoes very often and as you might understand I get harassed by police and pointed at in the street and childish things like that. Review the industry and then who deserves being ostracised? Me or the oppressors?.

I see. So you were out one day, without shoes, waving at a camera and smiling, and the cops grabbed you for drunk and disorderly conduct? (From what I gather from that other thread that no one seems to have responded to...) Naturally, the cops think you might be a bum (no shoes) and acting oddly (waving and smiling) so they came to investigate. As you might imagine, one of the functions of the police is to keep drunken bums off the street, in order to keep them from harassing citizens trying to go about their day. Granted, a smarter cop would have come to investigate, and realize you're not drunk, and perhaps given you a warning. At the very least, don't they have breathalizers to test your drunkeness? Ok, so an idiot cop arrests you, you're pissed after the fact, and want to shake people out of a mindset that absence of footwear = must be a bum? So naturally, let's attack the footwear industry, since it's entirely superficial, unnecessary, and causes people to judge others wrongly?

Well, let's set one thing straight. My criticism of your article is in regard to the wisdom of your tactics, not your thought process or your idealism. Let me clarify:

Assume I'm an Everyday Woman. I have various needs and priorities. I watch the news occassionally, I'm educated, and I've living a Regular Everyday Life. Suddenly, a man appears, telling me that the shoes that I'm wearing are evidence that I am part of a system that exploits children and the poor, and how do I feel about contributing to the global problem of exploitation? I might tell such a man to screw himself. Why?

Well, as I outlined before, shoes are a necessary part of Western Culture. I need my shoes. Do you genuinely expect me to go without shoes? Are you mad?

Oh, well you do it, why can't everyone else? Well, everyone else doesn't want to be arrested for drunk and disorderly behavior. Generally people want to be thought well of, make friends, be social, that sort of thing. Being counter-culture is nice in an idealistic way, but you will only attract other counter-culture inclined people. Some people might be genuinely confused, "What, can't you afford shoes?" Some might think, "Look, this guy thinks he's special, counter-culture, enlightened. How pathetic." Some might think, "Oh, I know that type. He's a crusader. If you don't measure up to his high ideals, then he'll make you feel like utter crap. He also tends to be blind to his own flaws, such as a lack of empathy. Nope, not someone I can be friends with. No point trying."

See, many people value the little things in their life, things like friends and family, and feeling like they are a contributing member of society and the community. They want to have happy relationships, obey the law, work hard, and hope for the best. Happy relationships are based on good communication, the ability to talk to people about your hopes and dreams, your sorrows, your problems. Happy relationships are NOT based on emotional abuse, like constant name-calling, berating, demoralizing.

So what was I saying? Oh yes, tactics. Have you heard about the difference between positive and negative criticism? Negative criticism focuses on the flaws and problems, and accomplishes nothing but making people feel bad. Positive criticism recognizes the flaws and problems, but also recognizes the things that are good as well, and most importantly, helps recommend solutions. Yes, knowing what is wrong is valuable information, but problems without solutions are simply frustrating.

Furthermore, a solution that is impractical might as well not be a solution. Two examples. 1) Rewind to the 1970s. The pens on our space station don't work in zero gravity. Developing pens that can work in zero gravity will cost some 10 gazillion dollars to make. Or, you can just use pencils. Sure, pens are superior to pencils, but is it 10 gazillion dollars worth of superiority? 2) You want a thread closed in the forum. You could theoretically shut it down by starting a string of curses and advertising Viagra, but you get a ban-hammer for your efforts. Yes, the goal was accomplished, but the side effects are kinda not worth it are they?

Tactics my friend, tactics. Now, assume again that I'm the Everyday Woman, and you want me to change my spending habits, because you believe that feeding the Corporate Monster is bad bad bad. So, use language that is belittling and inflammatory? Guilt me into modifying my Sinful Behavior (since that works so well for the Church, eh?) Or maybe realize that the Everyday Woman
a) Does not have time to do the research, she's busy, she might have kids or a career that demands every last brain cell she has.
b) Is quite aware that exploitation is a problem. She's heard it a thousand times on the news.
c) Cannot focus on every single problem of every single person in the whole world. Her own problems are quite enough.
d) If she can spare energy, time, or money, she might need some direction about how to spend it.
So, perhaps a better strategy would be:
a) Understand that she needs to balance her needs with your propositions.
b) Something that she can incorporate into her own life without having to shift her priorities too much.
c) Educate her about the importance of your agenda. Do not expect that she has time, energy, or opportunity to do the research herself.
d) Recognize that SOME effort is better than NO effort. Nothing changes overnight.

So? Calling people selfish, lazy fools will gain you exactly zero support. It might inflate your ego a little, feeling like you are better than everyone else, because you have prioritized social change above other concerns. It will not, however, bring about that social change that you care about. Ultimately, if you base your ego on how much you care about society and change, and are ineffectual about how you bring it about... that isn't exactly something to be proud of is it?
---
So yeah, the PPP idea, is not so bad. Easy things that simple, everyday people can do to bring about change, without having to adopt a Crusader's flag and go stomping out the windmills. Other things you can do, is provide additional educational materials, leave yourself some contacts should people decide they can dedicate more effort, that sort of thing. Which shoe companies are the most exploitive, and which ones the least? Are there shoe companies that perhaps donate to charity sometimes? Make recommendations and provide the source material for these recommendations.

Oh, yes, and realize that TL;DR applies to everyone. The easier the read, the more likely people will ya know, read it. Make your point, make it simple. This ain't no English literature class, you're not graded on the superfluity of your arguments. (What about me? Well this is silly ****e, actually, I expect that you base at least some of your ego on being Not Lazy and therefore will read all the stuff I write, even though it's long and badly written.) In scientific literature, there's a thing called an Abstract, which tells you all the important things upfront, and leaves the body of the article for presenting evidence and explanations. And if you care to read further, or wonder where the numbers come from, there's a references section. That article could have used an abstract. The references are good, and it's nice that you back it all up with research, but hot crap, do I have to wade through the whole thing before getting to the muck at the bottom where you make your recommendation about what is to be done about the problem?

 

[allofus]

fractfeline, first of all it seems that for some reason you have decided to spend a lot of time following me around on forums and bad mouthing / slandering me. I assume it is because you do not know any better.

Me being arrested, false arrest has nothing to do with this thread. It is not illegal to have shoes or no shoes, it is also not an obligation I have.

Naturally, the cops think you might be a bum (no shoes) and acting oddly (waving and smiling) so they came to investigate. As you might imagine, one of the functions of the police is to keep drunken bums off the street, in order to keep them from harassing citizens trying to go about their day. Granted, a smarter cop would have come to investigate, and realize you're not drunk, and perhaps given you a warning. At the very least, don't they have breathalizers to test your drunkeness? Ok, so an idiot cop arrests you, you're pissed after the fact, and want to shake people out of a mindset that absence of footwear = must be a bum? So naturally, let's attack the footwear industry, since it's entirely superficial, unnecessary, and causes people to judge others wrongly?

1. It is not natural for a 'cop' to assume anything. They have a job to do...

2. You may have prejudice that associates 'bum' with things like bare feet but it is not appropriate to project your prejudice onto others.

3. I did not attack the footwear industry, I actually highlighted it. Probably something that few people consider and most take for granted.

4. 'Cop' give me a warning for what? warn me for not wearing shoes? warn me for smiling? warn me for waving in the street? talk about missing the point....

5. I stated that other than career needs, not entirely superficial.


fractfeline I have no desire to pour over the rest of your ill conceived reply, I have better things to do than repeatedly deal with your inadequacies and I have been advised that feeding trolls is not sensible.

If I had as much time to rebut you as you have to create your fantasy strawman arguments I would not waste it defending your strawman arguments anyway.

 

[allofus]

add to ignore list
http://x10hosting.com/forums/profile.php?do=addlist&userlist=ignore&u=252855
Yes

 

[fractalfeline]

Not that you'll see it but... My, that'll keep me laughing for a bit! Hit a nerve, square on the head eh? What I wonder is... if you can't take criticism or heckling, how precisely do you propose to change people's minds? Rather than counter my argument, you declare it trolling and ignore me. For all I know, you had no way of countering it, and simply wrote it off.

a) Not my prejudice. I just happen to know people do that. *shrug* I've known people who -do- do that.
b) A warning that others might not be so reasonable. Duh.
c) No comment about my critique of your article's structure, or why ad hominems in your article are counter-productive? Hmm.

Welp, can lead a horse to water, can't force it to drink.

 

[callumacrae]

Not that you'll see it but... My, that'll keep me laughing for a bit! Hit a nerve, square on the head eh? What I wonder is... if you can't take criticism or heckling, how precisely do you propose to change people's minds? Rather than counter my argument, you declare it trolling and ignore me. For all I know, you had no way of countering it, and simply wrote it off.

a) Not my prejudice. I just happen to know people do that. *shrug* I've known people who -do- do that.
b) A warning that others might not be so reasonable. Duh.
c) No comment about my critique of your article's structure, or why ad hominems in your article are counter-productive? Hmm.

Welp, can lead a horse to water, can't force it to drink.

He's added you to his ignore list, he can't see you XD

~Callum

 

[stardom]

funny how a simple task of talking about shoes. turned a simple debate into an ignore. lmao
All of that posting for nothing. Wow..it truly amazes me.

 

[techieme]

thats cool

 

[techieme]

Im sorry Mr. Vishal2 ( Tech Guru), that you mistaken my post as spam,
but actually,
I am happy to know that in this forum I have learned a lot,
including foot wear business.
Thank you again.

 

[fractalfeline]

funny how a simple task of talking about shoes. turned a simple debate into an ignore. lmao
All of that posting for nothing. Wow..it truly amazes me.

But, what fun would it be without turning a simple, logical debate into a childish fight, complete with flaming, name-calling, poo-flinging, and cheap tactics? It would be nice if most people debated purely on the principles of logic and ethics, but I've found that most people are persuaded by other tactics. Besides, logic and ethics can turn a debate really dry, really fast.

I dare say, there are few in this forum who take this topic seriously enough to dabble with it. Fewer still who enjoy combat for its own sake.

What can I say? I'm a Toys-R-Us kid.

 

[Hoobrum]

>But, what fun would it be without turning a simple, logical debate into a childish fight,
lol + 1 for that .. sad sobering truth of the internet.

 

[fractalfeline]

I especially like how this thread keeps getting bumped because of the drama involved. Someday people will admit to liking a thread just for the amount of controversy it generates.

I know I do! :tongue: