Response to Consumer Responsibility & Nike

On the one hand I have to say that I generally agree with Laura's post and the main arguments in Miguel Korzeniewicz's article (and if you are interested in this, I would really like to recommend Michael Moore's documentary, "The Big One", in which Moore deals among others examples with Nike's production policies and incluedes a really shocking interview withNike's Chairman Phil Knight ...), because I think that people should be made aware of how these global players function and how they exploit people in underdeveloped countries as Nike does in Asia...

But on the other hand, I am not quite sure if we are not applying double standards when we talk about Nike's policies. What Nike does is definitely wrong, but are we 100% aware of where our other products are coming from and under which circumstances they were produced? Is it probably easier to critize Nike, because Nike is such a globalized brand? Do we always double-check the origin? Do we always care?

I think I do not, because if I want to buy an Adidas soccer ball for instance, do I always check where this ball was produced before I buy it, even though I know that probably children in underdeveloped countries are producing it? Therefore I think that consumers need to be made more sensitive regarding their consumer buying habits and especially about the product's background. Because each time we are confronted with Nike's policies for instance, we feel really blamable and try to act differently the next time...

Unfortunately an intention that only lasts till we see the new good-looking Air Force Ones in the next new Nike ad!