how can something be so courageous and yet so true
Edit: Jesus Christ, people. If you buy a $150 Thinkpad made by slave labor instead of a $1,200 MacBook made by slave labor, you're still supporting a capitalist economy based on slave labor. We all do. We have no choice. The number of smug liberals in the comments saying "well I buy a cheap used laptop" or "well I buy coffee beans and make my own coffee" are completely missing the fucking point.
Don't tell yourself your consumption is moral. All of us make unethical choices every day because there is no ethical consumption under capitalism. Accept your shame and guilt and let it drive you to do better.
I love it when people use the absolute-unethical capitalism comment when we do have initiatives out in the world that are progressing to indeed bring better conditions to workers or help solve other problems.
See the following, in no particular order; also note that most of this is with reference to textiles, but some overlap with other sectors:
United Nations (aka Global Compact, Global Compact on Migration, Global Compact on Refugees)
OEKO-TEX
The Textile Exchange
Forest Stewardship Council
Science Based Targets Initiative
Global Standard (aka GOTS)
International Accreditation Forum (aka ISO)
SEDEX (aka SMETA)
PETA
Good Jobs First
Fairtrade Labelling Organization International (aka FairTrade)
B Lab
Bluesign Technologies
Social Accountability International
Climate Neutral
amfori (aka BSCI)
Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (aka WRAP)
1% For The Planet
Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute
Sustainable Apparel Coalition
Stichting ZHDC Foundation
Fair Wear Foundation
Global Green USA
Global Reporting Initiative (aka GRI) via Corporate Register
Regenerative Organic Alliance (aka ROC)
Better Cotton Initiative (aka BCI)
CELC Developpement (aka European Flax™, Masters of Linen™ Certified)
Belgian Flax & Linen Association (aka Belgian Linen™ Certified)
European Union (aka Ecolabel Certified)
United States of America (aka USDA Organic)
American Apparel and Footwear Association
Canopy Planet
Ecological and Toxicological Association of Dyes and Organic Pigments Manufacturers (aka ETAD)
Better Work aka International Labor Organization aka United Nations / International Finance, Corporation aka World Bank Group
Open Supply Hub
TÜV AUSTRIA
International Association of Better Business Bureau
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
U.S. Green Building Council (aka USGBC)
CSP Worldwide (auditor)
Ecovadis (auditor)
MSCI (auditor)
Sustainalytics (auditor)
I'm sure there are plenty of others out there, but I think at least for the textile sector, there is a consorted effort towards a better economy for workers, users, and the planet. See also Fairphone and their FarTrade Gold program, as well as Framework laptops.
The "have no choice" argument is extremely thin nowadays and letting it fly is just leaking ignorance or at times hipocricy. Anyone living in the first world has an option to help and just want to blame the elite that are the offender. The assailants that enjoy the disparity in the world obviously aren't going to do anything about it so it is just convenient whine