As long as huge majority of people only care about the price (like me) I don't have worry about crap like this increasing prices.

We can make the argument that people will think twice before buying these products because of this report, but what other product can they buy that isn't linked to this? Practically everything has some link to this.
Unfortunately, all of this will go into one ear and out the other when it comes down to profit margin.

one solution is to buy used whenever possible.

I just can't take humanity today... sometimes I really do think we deserve to go extinct or something. :/

The only people that this is really "eye-opening" for are.... wait there are people that don't know that child labor still exists and is (unfortunately) a very healthy industry?

@Eldritch: This has been going on since the dawn of humanity. That we have reached a point where we expect it to not exist and attempt to stomp it out when possible says, if anything, good things about humanity.

@AgitatedDot: But prices continue to increase anyway.

You would think that DoL would find the balls to name some US retailers of said products.

Otherwise this is fairly (and typically) useless information.

I'll openly admit that I am one of the consumers that (generally) only cares about price and quality. I couldn't care less where the item came from or who made it or under what conditions the companies employees work (unless it's a counterfeiting issue).

@Esquire99:
bah, why isn't there an edit feature? Should read: "...company's employees..."

Child labor happens in every country on the planet. While some countries like America, it should not be happening, in other poorer countries like China or Africa, families may require their children to start working at a young age because the parents income may not be enough to support the child. While there some that should not exist in any part of the world like the underground stuff. The standard non underground work is understandable in some countries.

PS, pretty much all 3rd world countries make extensive use of child labor in all forms of business because income is so low that once a child reaches a certain age where they require significantly more resources to stay alive, the income of the parents is not enough to keep everyone in the family from starving.

@Razor512: [www.mint.com]

wanted to also include a map of wealth in the countries around the world.

[s56.photobucket.com]

You gotta take action.

[s56.photobucket.com]

Things like this seem to just sneak up on you.

@Esquire99: It's like you found a caricature of a lawyer somewhere.

@Thassodar: Excuse me, this is the other: [i56.photobucket.com]

@Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!):
At least I'm honest about it; that should be worth at least a couple of points in my favor.

Dear Flag-burnin', America hatin' terrorist:

BUY AMERICAN!

Sincerely,

A Patriot

/s

@Thassodar: The title actually reminded me of...
h4x0r5? 0n teh yu0r pC? Check yuor megahurtz. NAO!

@Razor512:

This is true. Child labor was once common in the US, too. It wasn't until we were wealthy enough as a society to support and educate our children that we strove to eliminate the practice.

The question then becomes, how should we react to child labor in poor countries? Do we demand (through our purchases and our words) that it end immediately, possibly preventing or slowing the economic growth necessary to truly provide these children with decent food, housing, and education? Or do we tolerate a practice we find unethical, and hope that less wealthy societies, as they become more prosperous, will come to think as we do?

@Bogart's Falcon: Just Forget the Other Name: As an adjustment for inflation. Everything will rise in absolute costs, but not necessarily relative costs.

This isn't really anything new. Which is sad. I feel like if I printed this list and took it to the store, weeded out where things werent child labor produce/merch... I'd go home empty handed.

@Thassodar:

@Subliminal0182: LOL what?

@AgitatedDot: Crap like this? The forced slavery of human beings in 2009.... crap like this...... unbelievable. How do you sleep at night?

Heh. Even in good ole' America you get child labor. At least my story is about work that was only semi-voluntary. When my GF was in high school, her summers she worked for a local organic fruit stand. Not inside, mind you, but out in the fields. When your mom can barely afford to feed you and your three little brothers, you take jobs that pay $2.00/hr. She couldn't work legit, since she was 13 at the time. Minimum wage was either $6.25 or $6.75 (good old CA sun). Good times.

@Laura Northrup: See I tried the image tag but it just wouldn't let me do it for some reason. A little help, please?

@macbeach: They might have to name every retailer in this country - which, in its own way, would be useless information as well.

@Subliminal0182: Dear A. Patriot,

Buy products made in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. "Made in the USA" goodness with Chinese-style labor standards (not surprisingly, often with Chinese laborers who quickly realize that labor rules and standards don't apply to "certain parts" of the United States)

Sincerely,

Nationalism is not Patriotism.

@acvicari: Absolutely. Unchecked child labor was officially sanctioned in parts of the United States as recently as the Great Depression (1930's).

As of an appropriate reaction to child labor: We're in a Catch-22 situation at the end of the day. Damned if we do, damned if we don't. Might as well make the best of things...

@Method of Steepest Descent: Hey! I was always curious.

What do you look like after decades of lack of sleep?

@azntg: I just mailed my leftovers from dinner to help out...

oh wait, wrong cause
/

@hrettig: I make everything myself at home.

@Esquire99: I'll be honest too. I don't care where something I'm buying came from, as long as it safe and a low price. Will me - personally, just my own lonesome self - not buying an item do ANYTHING to stop child labor?
No. And don't bring that "everyone's vote counts" BS either, because in the grand scheme of things, me not buying, 100 people not buying, 10,000 people not buying does nothing, nothing at all.

So just live with it and help the people in need around you out. If your heart bleeds so much, you die.

Is anyone else surprised to see Pornography on the list of goods? I mean you'd have to have some pretty heavy blinders on to not know it's happening, but most govt. reports tend to leave important things like this out. May what ever deity they pray to or a man with a gun and good intentions get them out of that situation asap.

@SpruceStreetPhil: You do realize that often safety is sacrificed for the sake of low prices right?

@SpruceStreetPhil: You're absolutely right. That's why we need to pass laws about this; because voting with your wallet is, most of the time, completely ineffective.

Be it an international law, some sort of importing law in the U.S. or whatever, I'd definitely go for that. Of course, you'd probably have the Chamber of Commerce harking about how it would hurt the mom-and-pop stores if the Chinese can't use child labor, but whatever.

@Thassodar: Capitalize "IMG" in the HTML image tag.

@acvicari: Yes, we end it immediately. A lot of research has found that strict bans on child labor decrease the birth rate. The reason is that when children are no longer valuable for their parents, parents don't want as many. If poor countries decrease their birth rate, more wealth will be available per capita. You'll have a higher standard of living for children and all the people of these countries.

@TCama:
Yes, more laws is exactly what we need. Lets make the legal landscape even more complicated than it already is and involve the government in more areas of private business. Since this deals with something that isn't even occurring in within the borders of our country it needs even more attention, more legislation and more money spent on it.

@Esquire99: So, let's get this straight:

1) You're offended by counterfeiting, but child and forced labor is super-duper.
2) Child and forced labor is simply a private business matter!
3) LA!LA!LA!LA!LA! If I can't see it or hear it in this country, it's not happening!
4) You eschew government action, yet likewise ridicule action via "consumer choice."
5) You "hate kids," but think highly enough of them to have them make your socks and shoes and fine persian rugs.

You're alright, dude.

@veg-o-matic:
I wasn't clear: I'm not offended by counterfeiting, I just want to make sure what I buy isn't counterfeit.

Also, I think consumer choice I great; here I was merely explaining how I choose.

Otherwise, yeah, you're pretty much right.

@AgitatedDot:

If information about where and how things are produced were as readily available as information about price, more people would care.

It is not in the seller's interest to provide it, though.

And if various countries' governments weren't there to at least try and curb this practice, you can bet that the free market would be inundated with child labor. Yay Unfettered Capitalism?

@AgitatedDot: I'll go WAY out on the limb here, and assume you're a Wal-Mart shopper.

There is nothing underground about porn nowadays unless it's illegal porn.

The Government includes an estimate of the "underground" economy in the gdp as I recall. So in a way they are using the activity and non-payment of taxes to boost their economic standing.

forced labor, in general, is a lot more common than many realize.

my thesis is on the topic and when i tell old friends about what i'm studying i have to convince them this is actually happening. and then i have to convince them that it's a problem in america. :::sigh:::

i'm glad the consumerist is choosing to highlight this (so much so that after years of reading daily i've finally decided to get a log-in name for commenting)

anyway, for those interested in studying or learning more about human trafficking, check out freetheslaves.net or polarisproject.org.

@TechnoDestructo: More, yes, but sadly probably still not anywhere near as many.

You don't have to look to foreign shores for child labor. Children are legally allowed to work in agricultural work (and are forced to do so) right here in the US.

I'm looking at you, every Chinese restaurant I've ever eaten at.