sciencegeek (28 Nov 12 - 12:45 PM), letting more Bangladeshis starve instead of burn is not much of a solution. Transport of clothes by ship seems reasonable to me.

Brian, I am not convinced that the victims of exploitation do not want us to help them. It is just not easy. In particular, if we demand a quick success, we may at best get a flash in the pan.

Two things will certainly not solve the problem: a) only buy local, b) only buy expensive. Actually, I often read that US import restrictions, to protect the local industry, are a major reason for poverty in other countries.

If we demand from our politicians and big businesses to make the world a better place, it might not work immediately, but if we do not demand it, the opposite effect is likely.