I would like to have a try at answering the question posed by the author of this post.
It seems to me that a great many of the population are in your position – unable to have a full range of choices in where they buy things. There are many choices in where to buy goods and many of those businesses do things that are immoral or unethical. We would prefer to shop elsewhere.
When a firm is unethical or immoral, it often develops a competitive advantage that makes its products cheaper, in many cases much cheaper.
And I don’t think you have to think very hard before you can think of one of the worst offenders.
If you are in a poor economic situation, buy where you can. There is no point in damaging your health or your family.
Ethics requires action but all choices are never available to us.
So, when one avenue of action is denied us, we seek others. Here we have regulatory agencies, representative government and public advocacy. There is also investigative journalism but this is denied most of the public.
Your most likely remaining options are encouraging awareness by blogging, etc.
I don’t want to try to explain in any detail what you will want to decide yourself, which is what’s your best options?
There are many places where total ethics are impossible by one reason or another, you can still fight the good fight.
We do what we can.
James Pilant
via thenewgoodlife
Hi James,
Thanks for taking the time to try to answer the question I posed in my blog. I like what you had to say about not all choices being available to all people all the time. I think that’s a really good way of looking at the situation and had made me feel much better about the decisions I have had to make.
I’ve had a bit of a look around your site, looks interesting, though I must admit it is mostly over my head, not being from a business background and also not living in the US.
I really like the idea of a blog on business ethics though. While economics isn’t me strong point I do take an interest in ethics is general and as a result find myself thinking about and discussion business related issues. One of my most passionate bug bears is the grocery monopoly we have in Australia and the flow on effects for farmers, and other small producers this has.
Anyway, I really just popped over to say thanks, I appreciated your comments.
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