Behind the Swoosh

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The "Behind the Swoosh" documentary really opened my eyes to sweatshops in other countries. I always knew products made in other countries were less expensive because of cheaper labor, but I didn't realize how much cheaper the labor was! The fact that peoples salaries are as low as $1.10 per day in Indonesia when the final product is sold for an obnoxiously high amount is absolutely ridiculous. The Nike company always seems to set their prices a little high, but I thought it was because they sell good quality products. Instead, however, they are mostly looking to make a profit.

Multinational corporations such as Nike are indeed contributing to the poverty in underdeveloped countries such as Indonesia. They take advantage of the desperation most families are in and force them to work long hours for little pay. This is terrible because the workers have no other source of income, and so they must either comply with the ridiculous hours and horrible pay or leave their job and face definite hunger and poverty. Overall, the Nike video showed us that some multinational corporations are selfish and do not care about the being of their workers who make them so rich. They are so preoccupied with getting their own paychecks that they don't think about the working conditions they're forcing on their factory workers, and they can't find it in themselves to care. Factory workers are forced to work long hours with low pay, and this forces them into a life of poverty. They can't get the exposure they need, either, because the factory won't allow reporters inside to reveal the conditions they face.

The worst part is that the multinational corporations could make their workers' lives so much better by simply increasing their salary by double. All it would cost them is about the amount they paid Michael Jordan to endorse Nike, which was $20 million. If they're willing to give that much money to someone who's already well off, they should find it in themselves to give it to the workers who desperately need it, so that they can at least get the amount they need to live healthily and be more proud of their work. With the $1.10 they receive now per day, they must sacrifice food for medicine or a meal or two for basic necessities like shaving kits and other items.

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