Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Plantation Exploitation


Dole Plantation, Oahu
July 2005

"Welcome to the Dole Plantation! Look how content I was. I don't mind that my fellow plantation workers and I suffered years of exploitation through unfair or even forced labor. No, I was one happy worker!"

These boards were plastered all over Dole Plantation, painting such an inaccurate portrayal of what plantation life was really like. On one hand, I'm annoyed that they had to make plantation life something that it's clearly not. On the other hand, I can't say that I'm going to stop eating pineapples based on this principle but at least I don't feel as ignorant. I felt bad for the tourists who didn't know any better and ate up the happy-dappyness.

Will there ever be truly fair labor practices or will companies such as Walmart and Dole continue their labor exploitation with no end in sight?

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