rainy_day's Profile

First of all, although child labor occurs in underdeveloped countries I don't agree that makes it right. There are so many factors that contribute to why child labor exists (including the very infrastructure of said country), but rather than address a very complicated issue such as that, I think it's more important here to understand the way in which a multi-million (billion?) dollar corporation such as IKEA operates. I would agree that IKEA appears to be doing more than other corporations (GAP, Target, etc.) to address environmental and social concerns, but they do so for the bottom line: profit, which, unfortunately, influences what they tell the public (their profits rose quite significantly after they began their "green" campaign...hmm...) and what they keep behind closed doors.
IKEA claims to not employ children though they sub-contract in countries such as India (where many of their rugs are made) which makes it impossible for them to know whether their rugs are being made by a 5-year olds in their home or not.
Also, IKEA was found to be in violation of workers' rights in a Chinese factory in a report released this last April (http://www.goiam.org/content.cfm?cID=10258).
I found this article (http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=14272) to be quite telling of the way in which IKEA operate behind closed doors. (I'm not extremely tech-savvy so if you have problems viewing either of those articles, let me know and I'll try to redirect you.) I must admit that sometimes I will buy a product from a place like Fred Meyer, for instance, when I'd like to buy something (i.e. shoelaces) I can't find at a local (ethically-run) store, but I can't say as though I enjoy or get excited to buy things from such a company. I am continually trying to challenge myself to support companies that aren't just doing some good (IKEA), but doing ALL that they can to ensure the wellbeing of all those whom they employ and not just their CEOs and stockholders.

Whether Melissa's comment was the product of a "grouchy" mood or not, it echos precisely what I think about this fantastic display of overindulgence as well. I think parents have forgotten that it's actually healthy for kids to use their imagination.