DVDizzy Forum

411314 wrote:But doesn't that same logic also mean that it doesn't matter if you buy Disney dolls or other merchandise because they'll still make plenty of money without you, thus making it pointless for you to avoid the products for the reason you described?

No, because I don't want to own anything that was made out of child- or 'slave' labour. One person can hardly make a difference, but if people in *big numbers* would stop buying the merchandise and protest at Disney, it could make a difference. But that is for everybody personally to decide. I'm not judging anybody.[/quote]

I pointed out earlier that if enough people stop buying the merchendise, it could mean a lot of those sweatshop workers would lose their jobs or be paid even less, and then you pointed out that your one refusal to not buy the products wouldn't make much difference. My point was just that you DID consider the possible results of lots of people performing the same action in one case (what would happens as a result of lots people buying Disney dolls, action figures, and other tie-in merchendise) but seemed to consider it irrelevent in the other case (your response to my concerns about what might happen if lots of people don't buy Disney merchendise was something like "Disney is a multibillion dollar corporation, they don't need to worry about me boycotting their products). I was wondering why the (thing that seems to me like) logical inconsistency. By the way, thanks for posting that excerpt from the book. I'm saying I doubt the info (I don't), but does the book cite any sources for the info you translated?

@ 411314:

Yes, you're right about the logical inconsistency. I was waiting for somebody to point it out, and I was surprised it took that long.

But instead of a 'logical inconsistency', I see it more as two sides of an issue. Both sides have a lot of truth in it. If I boycott Disney on my own, they're not going to notice it, so the child- and forced labour continues. If a lot of people boycott them, they do notice, so the child- and forced labour may disappear but that might also mean no income for those people. But is that the dilemma we should have to deal with? I mean, those people are already being (legally) underpaid or not paid at all. Should we not pressure Disney , so they'll keep their far too low wage for much too hard work? Then we're complicit. Or should we pressure Disney, risking people getting laid off entirely? Again, we're complicit.

It's not a black-and-white issue.

The book 'Mou$e Entertainment' unfortunately doesn't cite any sources. The book 'Blackbook' does cite sources.

-For the case in California, it cites an unnamed article in 'The New York Times' from 12/15/2001, which (apparently?) isn't available online.
- For the case in Bangladesh, they cite: http://www.nlcnet.org/campaigns/shahmak ... 0502.shtml
- For the case of the cruiseships, they cite: http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/ ... 47,00.html

I assume they brought the other stories to light themselves, since they're investigative journalists.

Since you seem to hate it so much, here's a thought: Openly protest Disney Merchandising.

Now this is quite a controversial topic, and risky since this site is here to worship either the movies, the shows, the parks, Walt Disney himself, etc. I do agree that this is very important to know, but I don't think that us individuals can do something about it. As long as these human rights organisations keep up the good work it'll (hopefully) work out for the best. But I refuse to believe that The Walt Disney Company is the only media conglomerate who does this (not that this justifies it, but still).

However, the largest part of the world continues to either lack knowledge of it - be unaware of it - or subjectively ignore it.

As the expression always goes: Ignorance is bliss.

Duckburger wrote:But I refuse to believe that The Walt Disney Company is the only media conglomerate who does this (not that this justifies it, but still).

If it seemed like I was implying that, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I'm sure there are other media conglomerates that do it as well, and certainly corporations in other industries doing it.