Standing Up

[Dennis Perrin]

> >Well, there are Nike sweatshops in China and Vietnam. What say you about
> >that?
> >DP
>
> Huh?
>
> What are you trying to insinuate?
>
> What I "would say about that" is that China and Vietnam are states which
are
> integrated and open, in one way or another, to the system of global
capitalist
> production, and therefore are just two of the places where U.S.
multinationals
> can go to secure cheap labor.  Whether or not these countries *call*
themselves
> "communist" ceased to be relevant a long time ago-- they have abandoned
any
> and every measure of worker protection and social and economic rights.
The
> same thing you would never see, for example, under the current leadership
in
> Cuba which has stayed true despite enormous difficulties.  Looks like the
same
> type of integration and opening up is on tap for Iraq-- really one of the
main
> purposes of the war.
>
> I find it highly annoying when people on listservs make assumptions about
other
> people based on a few scattered posts.


> Marc Rodrigues

I merely asked -- did not insinuate -- what you thought of Nike sweatshops
in China and Vietnam. And you answered. A simple exchange. No need to read
anything sinister in it.

As for Cuba, no, there aren't Nike or Adidas sweatshops -- yet -- but parts
of the original revolution have turned back to Batista-era practices like
prostitution for high-paying tourists. And once the embargo is lifted, oh
man, watch out.

DP