Fairtrade Promotes Consumerism by Alleviating Guilt

I once met a charming young American lady in Vietnam. Her family was originally Vietnamese and had emigrated to California before she was born; and they had prospered there, building a booming business in office furniture. Before joining Law School, she decided to take a break and to visit her parents’ homeland. She took the opportunity to donate her time as an English schoolteacher as she felt giving back was the only fair thing to do, because she had received so much in her childhood, and that the kids in Vietnam had received nothing. She felt it was her duty because while she had received a good education and tons of opportunities, most of the kids she taught would never even be able to purchase a plane ticket. She genuinely felt sorry and indebted to them.