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Multinational Charm Offensive

 
 
Dee Vapr
17:37 / 18.07.01
There's something in the air... if you haven't see these news stories, the links are here...

Channel 4 News

Wired

Could these be the start of a campaign to discredit No-Logo style protest, by turning peoples' heads away from what's really going on? By engineering low-cost first world local community programmes whilst simultaneously continuing to f**k third world labour up the jacksie? Does this Steve Hilton bloke have a point, or is he just a corporate stooge?
 
 
Tom Coates
10:12 / 07.04.02
I found this while milling around in the guts of the Switchboard. What do people think of this kind of action? Is it legitimate, useful? Do you trust it? Several months on - how do you feel about Nike and the sweatshops?
 
 
Eloi Tsabaoth
14:11 / 07.04.02
He's a stooge. And not even a good stooge. He's the one they brought in to replace Curly.
 
 
Eloi Tsabaoth
14:19 / 07.04.02
Ok, that was a bit of a fluff reply.
What Hiton seems to be arguing is (extremely basic analysis here) 'corporations are huge and powerful, and with their pull can make things happen, so support them'. Using that same logic you could say that dictators are better than elected leaders because they have more unquestioned power and can make decisions about reform and economy without putting it to the vote.
The Nike thing looks like total bullshit as well. Nike shoes aren't made in special 'Nike' factories in TAZs, they're made in dingy anonymous buildings side by side with other shoe brands.
 
 
Baz Auckland
16:04 / 08.04.02
Coca-Cola is a good citizen? My friend's father in law was tortured and exiled from El Salvador for trying to unionize the Coke plant.

Klien deals with this argument that "Brands are good, because big companies are easier to lobby than 1000 small ones" I think, in No Logo, but I can't remember the details.

It's sick to hear these things. I remember The Economist ran an editorial reply to No Logo, along the usual lines of "these jobs bring development and prosperity". I guess it's all in how you define 'prosperity' (starvation wages better than no wages?)
 
  
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