[lbo-talk] Anita Roddick Prophet of Green Capitalism

[Carl Remick]

>From: "Wojtek Sokolowski" <sokol at jhu.edu>
>
>Carl:
>I agree James wrote a great article, Wojtek, but you seem to have read a
>different article than I did.  I don't know how you can interpret Roddick's
>story as an inspiring one that offers "hope that the Left can think
>progressively and adapt to changing times."  Roddick's is a cautionary tale
>of self-serving entrepreneurs' chameleon-like ability to exploit the 
>world's
>poor and line their own pockets by adopting a patina of progressivism.
>Roddick was a palpable fraud.
>
>[WS:] We must have indeed read two different articles.  I personally think
>that selfless-altruism to save the "wretched of the earth" is a bunch of
>crock - nothing more than thinly veiled self-serving posturing to boost
>one's radical credentials, image and social standing.  I have much more
>respect for those who help themselves and teach others how to do likewise &
>provide others with some tools to make that self help more efficient.
>Roddick seem to do just that and by doing so she accomplished, imho, far
>more than all the long-winded self-styled radicals and pomo theorists
>combined.

Jesu Christi!  You're wasting your time in the sociology racket, Wojtek.  
You're much more a born practitioner of corporate PR than I ever was.  Here 
some examples James cited of how Roddick taught others to help themselves, 
provided them the tools to do so and in general set a sterling example for 
ethical business practice:

"Raising expectations of ethical business practice opened Roddick up to 
challenges. Critics alleged that the Mexican Indian natives used to 
illustrate the Body Shop’s American Express Campaign were exploited; or that 
local producers in the Solomon Islands and the Brazilian Kayapo Indians were 
left in the lurch; in 1996 the Body Shop pulled the plug on a deal to buy 
shea butter from a town in Ghana, leaving the local economy, all geared up 
to meet the order, in tatters; foot massagers were made in the Boys Town 
orphanage in sweat shop conditions while gang leader Joe Homan sexually 
molested the children (‘Joe’s work in Boys Town is ceaseless; he cares for 
the boys and girls and they really appreciate what he is doing for them’, 
said the label); campaigners objected that selling up to L’Oreal was a 
travesty - given that that was the very company the Body Shop was setting 
itself against when it offered products not tested on animals."

Carl

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