Actually, by growing economically prosperous enough that children in the labor force were mostly unnecessary. A rich society sends its children to school. A poor society sends its children to work in the fields or, if they're really lucky, in a foreign-owned factory. Rich societies can make choices poor societies cannot. It's like the claim that building codes in Haiti were responsible for the earthquake damage there. If Haiti could afford better building codes, it probably would have had them.
It had nothing to do with the economy being so bad that adults were willing to work for children's wages?
Businesses in first world nations can trade - fairly with anyone they want. If they cannot create a business and stick to first world rules - fair wages, environmentally responsible - then they have no business setting up a business there.
Among the worst are those that can be foreseen and prevented, but are dismissed as inevitable. "If we outlaw child labor, child prostitution will increase, AND THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT." I remember when Stossel was a consumer advocate. Sold out for the big bucks...
This always bemuses and confounds me, coming from an avowed atheist. If you believe that, at the end of it all, when your body wears out, they put it in a nice landfill and worms eat it, then what else is there? Screw the other guy, before he screws you. "Nature red, in tooth and claw..." Anything less is opening yourself up to be prey to the stronger and faster.
It also amuses me that, in one breath, Lil' Dicky is arguing for Man, transcending his base nature and becoming some altruistic [but Godless] saint. In the very next breath, he is in favor of essentially lobotomizing everyone; taking away free will, and putting it in the hands of the Politburo.
What doesn't? Jell-o wrestling, I suppose...the nacho cheese pump, you can probably work one of those...ehh...wouldn't trust you with an old-timey bottle opener...
Where else but in strawman land? Link? Humor, goon. Paladin got it. That's why I like him. You? Go play with this ball in traffic *toss*
You know, the logical conclusion of this particular type of apologism is that child prostitution (or slavery or any other practice) is in some cases justified as long as there's something "worse" that could happen. Serious question - was slavery "okay" in the classical world since the society had not evolved to a point where it was no longer "needed"?
Not really the right question to ask. No one here thinks that kids working is 14 hour days is anything less than "bad". It's just that the alternatives given the prevailing conditions are actually worse.
Funny how when someone's views change in a way you don't like it's a sell out. It could be that he kept he's eyes open and saw how the world really worked - like a lot of people do over time.
When someone does a complete moral 180, I tend to follow the money. You, of course, don't care, as long as they land on your side of the fence. So you may come to your senses again some day after all...
Perfect example for anyone who may have been confused about what I was talking about. Thanks for reiterating. Remember the old saying that if you're not a liberal at 20 you have no heart and if you're not a conservative at 40 you have no brain? Stossel's brain finally caught up. How many iterations of that have you been through?