Keri Gilligan - Blog Post 1

When reflecting on W. E. Burghardt Du Bois’ literature, “Of the Culture of White Folk,” there must be major considerations examining how the issues brought up in his work connect to present-day issues. Du Bois brought up ideas around how power manifests, how Eurocentric the world is, and the exploitative activities of Europe. He noted the major “exploitation of darker people” by Europe and how the United States “rushed into preparation for war and conquered tropical colonies” to show that the world war is just a race to see who can exploit more (Du Bois 440, 445-446). Despite being written in 1917, there are seemingly significant parallels to how the United States behaves today. And although this is mostly in the context of colonization, I argue that US corporations are taking part in modern exploitation through their use of sweatshops and factories around the world.

Western countries have maintained their power through exploitation, especially in South East Asia, and this is precisely what we see from companies like Apple who have factories in Bangladesh. Globalization and less market regulation have made it easier for companies to take production overseas. This activity has obvious beneficiaries such as company leadership, investors, and customers, but it has real consequences for workers. The working conditions are inhumane and the wages are unsustainable.

This same method can be seen through colonization where a powerful state would take the benefits of cheap labor and goods from their colony. This promoted the exploitation of individuals from more poor and underdeveloped countries while strengthening those who already held power. For example, Great Britain and France exploited large portions of Africa along with its people to maintain power themselves. Although it provided a small economy for these countries, it was for the benefit of Western countries. 

Looking from an economic perspective, due to modern capitalism and the need to maximize profits, what Karl Marx referred to as the Race to the Bottom is taking place. This means that corporations are competing against each other to find the cheapest labor to maximize their profits, even if that requires questionable practices. During Principles of Economics, I learned about sweatshops and capitalism’s exploitative nature. If capitalism is to work and keep the US economy functioning, there must be revised laws and enforced regulations around the use of factories abroad to ensure worker safety and ethical practice. Factory workers should not have to be in fear of getting hurt at their job and unions should be allowed to promote worker empowerment. 

The West cannot continue to exploit other states and people without facing any consequences. Just as Du Bois mentioned, “if you do not want living waters of life free for these, brothers, you do not want peace—you love war” (Du Bois 447). It is this empathy for others that will promote a more just and equitable world. States and corporations cannot just aimlessly expand for their good, they must take a step back to look at those they are using to profit and question their practices. Although nuanced in its own way, this form of modern colonialism is undeniable when it comes to exploiting those at the bottom of the system.