infobong.com

The Economist is running a highly critical profile of No Logo author Naomi Klein. For the uninitiated, No Logo describes how branding allows multinational MegaCorps obscure the crappy conditions where their products are produced; because Nike is only a brand, it can slap the Swoosh on any piece of crap made in a third-world sweatshop and sell it - and claim that it doesn't employ child labor while exploiting it. Okay, its kind of a complicated book, but that's my 50 word version anyway.

While Klein has already posted a response on her blog, I thought I would share my own critique of this crap. The author of the piece attacks Klein for not having a plan to solve all of the problems of globalization. I think that her book still does the world a service by putting the ramifications of globalization on people's radar and reifying the roles of Nike and its ilk when they dominate the mainstream symbol-system, while engaging in disgusting labor and environmental practices. The article's author also fails to support many of her assertions like that megacorps are less powerful than governments and consumers, since, "Governments regulate business as they choose, and have far more power over their citizens' lives than even the biggest multinational does." The author provides no detail or addresses the effect of corporate money in polical campaigns or the gatekeeping effect megacorps have over consumer choice, employment and media messages.