The cure smells subtly sweet & damp; nutty.
With a handful of Gap returnables (totaling $8), Kate and I skirted through the University Mall trying our best to avoid the throngs of mall-rats, baby toting ‘burbite moms, and arm swinging geriatrics. Through Dillard’s, past Victoria’s Secret, a port side turn at American Eagle, one or two dodges, a jump, a deep breath, and feewf…hello Gap. While Kate returned her armful for a meager eight, I rummaged the merchandise, stumbling upon a table of Product Red.
Product Red. Buy a service or product registered with Product Red and portion of the profits will be spent buying AIDS victims in Africa life prolonging medicines. Product Red has that omnipresent cooperate feel: Red credit cards, Red shirts, Red cellphones, Red pants, Red iPods, Red underwear, Red shoes, and even Red candles. The more Red you buy the more AIDS money you send to Africa. Great idea right!
Now don’t get me wrong I think finding a cure for AIDS is a great idea, I fully support it, would even financially support it if I had the means, but come on…Product Red! I am sure all those involved in the operation are bleeding hearts and have nothing but Africans’ well fair in mind, but just think how much more money they make on the side. Sure they are giving a percentage and I am sure a lot of good will come to those Africans in need, but just think how much more these cooperations are slanted to make. If they give lets say 8% of the profits to Africa, they are still keeping 92% of the profits for themselves. So after every CEO, store manager, worker, cotton farmers, and leather herders has been paid, 8% of the profit is given to African AIDS victims and the remaining 92% is used to buy nice things for the rich. So what is the big deal? Who’s to say these cooperations participating in Product Red aren’t just using the idea to increase their sales and make themselves more money. Nothing like an incurable epidemic in Africa to boost sales and profits.
If cooperation’s were so invested in helping these AIDS patients in Africa why don’t they give 50 or 80% of their profit (remember everyone involved as been paid to this point) to buying the much needed AIDS drugs? And why can’t consumers, investors, and the cooperate world learn to give without getting a t-shirt, watch, or candle in return?
Just in passing, Gap was selling a Red shirt made in Lesotho, Africa from African grown cotton…this probable bing the Product Red’s greatest contribution to African welfare.
Neil, 8% is better than 0%. I understand where you are coming from, but come on man, come on. If we did not have corporations, large ones, where would be be as people. We would have no national identity or American Culture. People are what they buy, and we would not have nearly as a developed market in the United States of America if it were not for large companies. They have given a lot to the people of this great nation, and now when they want to give more to other nations you criticize them? Bad form Neil, bad form. Long live Sam Walden and Haliburton.
JESSE