And if there is, what are ways to insure that what you buy are ethically sourced. Also, as someone that's not making money, do I have the same level of obligation to buy these products when they cost more ?
I could see this turning into a political topic fairly quickly.
I agree with @WriterGF that discussions like this are often proxies for political discussions, or they veer into them swiftly.
Glad you’re thinking about this, Mike.
But unless you fear your cuddle providers are being trafficked, I don’t see why you’d think this forum is the best place for this question.
To be fair, I've seen many (if not most) forum threads that don't seem like a fit for a cuddle site. I just assumed anything is fair game as long as it doesn't violate any of the site's ground rules for forum topics.
As long as we all behave and no one mass flags then we should be fine. I think it's ok to discuss whether it's ok to buy from, say shien, without getting political
Not sure if you mean food or other items. There are a few places around here that raise their own animals for food so as to not affect the population, like catfish and elk farms. This is why I condone that hunters ear their food and not just kill for sport, as a deer or boar can feed a family for a very long time. Whether you eat meat or hunt or not , people are gonna keep doing it regardless so it's good to be responsible about it .
I had to Google "Shein." At this point, I can't offer an educated opinion. lol Then again, the whole "educated" part hasn't stopped some folks from contributing in the past in other forums.
@pmvines are you a vegan? I try to eat locally sourced food but I cant stop eating chocolate, which I produced with slave labor.
@Mike102 You make your own chocolate AND have slaves?
Is there such thing as ethical consumption of goods ?
Yes.
On the one hand, ethical consumption is possible and meaningful, even within the constraints of a globalized economy. While perfect purity may be unattainable due to complex supply chains and systemic inequalities, consumers can make choices that significantly reduce harm and promote positive change. Supporting fair trade products, sustainable goods, and local businesses directly benefits workers, communities, and the environment. These decisions also send a message to corporations that ethical practices are not only desirable but, arguably, necessary.
Although ethical consumption alone cannot solve systemic issues, it is a valuable tool for individuals to align their actions with their values and contribute to broader societal shifts. When combined with advocacy and policy change, it has the potential to drive significant progress. Far from being futile, ethical consumption represents an important step toward a more equitable and sustainable world.
On the other hand, ethical consumption is largely an illusion, as systemic exploitation and environmental harm are embedded in the global economy, making it impossible to consume without perpetuating some level of harm.
Hope that helps. 🙂
@TD1964RGK so no?
@Mike102 Best response I've seen in the forums in the last four weeks!
Huh, clearly "ethical consumption of goods" means something very different to some of the folks on here than it does to me, because my first answer to the OP's question is a simple "yes, it is possible".
For me, the major ethical consideration is whether or not the seller came by the goods honestly. Few worse feelings in the world than to realize that you bought stolen goods.
Biggest questions here are:
Am I comfortable with my position in the food chain?
Is there slave labor involved?
Is this unashamedly harming the environment?
The answer to these questions greatly influences whether you think something is ethically sourced or not.
@Mike102 No I'm not vegan
To answer the original question, I'd say probably not very often. You can justify consumption as not harmful but i think that in all cases someone takes a loss whether they notice it or not. It's just an acceptable loss in their eyes a for a time. Technology makes it less harmful in one sense but causes more in another.
The problem with the entire concept of this thread is that ethical has different meanings to every individual. Ethics is a spectrum of possibilities and is subjective.
You can only try your best. I try to support small businesses when I can. As others have said there are many different ethical concerns and standards. For example I have been shopping cruelty free since high school, but at the same time there are other ethical concerns like the carbon footprint of a company, how the employees are treated, where and how the ingredients/ materials are sourced. Who the company donates money to/ lobbies etc. It would be exhausting to worry about all of these ethical components with every purchase. If you haven’t already watched the show The Good Place, there is a character named Chidi who is a philosophy professor and he agonizes over every purchase and decision weighing out the ethics and he makes himself and everyone around him miserable.
https://shop.equalexchange.coop/collections/chocolate
A shameless plug for fair trade chocolate! 🍫
Ill ethically consume your goods!
@jimmylee
I agree with you that a topic doesn’t have to be related to cuddling to be acceptable here. But given the forum’s track record for turning simple discussions into a political quagmire, this one seems so laden with embedded political assumptions, that it would be better held offsite.
@MonkeyNeedsAHug I understand and agree in principle. But I've seen other threads that were equally, if not more so, politically charged that was allowed to go along its merry way. As long as ALL politically infused threads were kept out of the forums that would be great.
Thanks for having my back @jimmylee . I'm not sure why @MonkeyNeedsAHug is upset about the question, so far all the answers have been very well thought out and interesting. Please dont flag this thread
Everything can turn political depending on the commenter, people who want to interject nonsense can at anytime. There isn't much you can do but hope everyone behaves themselves. Also if we don't respond to nonsense everything should be ok.
😱 omigod! omigod! This thread might turn political! 😱
Geez. How about we just let the conversation happen, and if at some point, somebody mentions a no-no, we can then all panic.
Since the definition of "ethically sourced" is subjective, the answer to your question will also be subjective. You will have Schrödinger's answers that will be correct and incorrect at the same time, only to be determined by how well any specific answer aligns with the listener's personal ethics.
Nope! There is not! There is a lifestyle based on this logic called freeganism, it basically attempts to reduce consumption by dumpster diving lol
Freeganism... Hmmm. Yeah, that's a hard pass for me.
I agreed (in the thread) with another commenter that this forum is unlikely the best place for this discussion. I haven’t flagged shit and I haven’t called anybody out over their post.
Why can’t the people telling me I’m jumping the gun (by getting upset) see that they’re jumping the gun in assuming I’m upset?
Sheesh.
Yeah, I have to agree. There was once a time in my life where dumpster diving for aluminum cans was a necessity for financial survival, but only the most severe need could get me to do that again.