Never mind future generations judging (and probably resenting) us, what about our own conscience? - A question I've been pondering on most of today...

Should we act out of guilt or duty? Who cares as long as we act - you might say... 

Only yesterday I found myself once again having the age old 'Primark debate.' Proven to have used child labour to produce their oh-so cheap clothes, Primark has faced more than its fair share of criticism in recent years. The question is, should we buy there because workers at least have an income, surely better than nothing. (I'd say 'no', but if Primark's sales figures are anything to go by, it's clear many wouldn't agree with me). So just how do you persuade an addict to relinquish their beloved Primark bargains? Tell them about the exploitation, tell them that the company scored the lowest of all leading clothing chains in the UK (just 3.5 out of 20) on an ethical index that ranks workers' rights and whether they do business with oppressive regimes - in other words educate them. If all else fails, guilt trip them? I've tried it (purely out of investigative curiosity, of course). 

I didn't buy anything in end because the queue was too long, one friend said to me, almost embarrassed at having set foot in there to begin with. That statement, if a little amusing, did sum up what is essentially a very serious problem. People know they're doing the wrong thing, and yet they are still doing it. Just as Jodi wrote, we've got no excuse for pleading ignorance on this one.   

So when education and or guilt fail, what next? Any ideas?