Global poverty: Links & comments 10/22/13

I got hired at a Bangladesh sweatshop | Meet my 9-year-old boss by Reveena Aulakh for the Toronto Star.  Hat tip to Mike the Mad Biologist.

A reporter for the Toronto Star, who worked for a few days in a Bangladesh garment factory, wrote a profile of a 9-year-old co-worker, who earns $32 a month if she works every day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. with an hour break for lunch and Friday afternoons off.   I don’t think any North American who reads this article could feel complacent about where their clothing comes from.

Ending Extreme Poverty Is a Matter of Political Will by Sam Pizzigati of the Washington Spectator.

About 1.2 billion people live on less than $1.25 a day, which is considered “extreme poverty”.  Most of them lack access to clean water or electricity.  A study by the Credit Suisse, the giant Swiss bank, indicates that, in principle, they could be raised out of poverty by means of a graduated wealth tax averaging one-half of 1 percent on individual wealth above $1 million.

Tags: Bangladesh, Child Labor, Sweatshops