no. these conditions are slavery. these individuals are systemically forced into jobs that keep the vast majority of them in an infinite state of poverty and subjugation. their negligible salary keeps them at a constant level of struggling subsistence, there is no mobility. this is the conscious point. slavery does not benefit the slave, it benefits the master at the expense of the slaves wellbeing to the point of death, as we see here. nothing new.

have you ever been inside one of these sweatshops? i guarantee you that if you had real choice you would never step foot inside one, let alone work there. it is hell.

this "its their choice" argument is trotted out constantly and its wrong. it implies an individual autonomy that is not present in these conditions. this is a very different world than america or europe. this is a way of life that is forced on many, introduced by the state as what they view as a necessary means of global competition. or just plain forced on them/bribed by corporations. this system is corrupt from the top down.

im not going to suggest times before in bangladesh were better. i dont know. but whats going on now is environmentally and socially unjustifiable and gross. our consumption propagates this. its easy to let it be but thats the point of this exploitative outsourcing. when you disconnect producer from consumer they are both much easier to control. for progress to happen we must become and remain conscious of this, acknowledging our implicit responsibilities as a buyer.

historical comparison is problematic because of the unprecedented nature/scale of modern global capitalism but think of the triangle shirtwaist fire. unionization and popular protest lifted these workers out of slave conditions after atrocity, not their nonexistent savings.

i dont really care if this is a "natural" stage of industrialization or not. children are dying. its happening and it shouldnt. boycotting does not worsen it, it forces the companies to listen and builds solidarity between worker and consumer. there is a historical precedent for this in western countries. if this is really natural then it is apparently time for the next "natural" step, reform. for it to be successful consumer and producer both need to act. the producers have been acting for a long time now, suicide being one of their actions of protest. they are desperate for people to hear them, to the point of stitching hidden messages for help into the clothing they make. the consumer has to listen and care and act. if not these men, women and children will continue to have roofs cave in on their filthy, cramped, scorching slave quarters and their water to be poisoned with industrial waste.

even on an individual level, if you are a moral person how you can justify supporting this horror? take responsibility for your actions and find moral alternatives/demand reform. you have alot of power as a consumer if you arent complacent, exercise it.