Reply #22: Thanks for the kind welcome! [View All]

There are some ethical companies out there, but you're right -- it takes a lot of research to find them. Granted, you can do a quick job of it by eliminating companies that produce firearms and other weapons and perhaps alcohol and tobacco, but that doesn't go far enough for me.

I don't like how workers in developing nations are getting treated, and I don't care for how workers in the United States are being treated either -- particularly with all the offshore outsourcing going on. I personally don't want to invest in companies that won't invest in America. Since I work in IT, offshoring is a particulary touchy issue for me -- and my company has started offshoring a lot of production, though they haven't done IT yet. That'll probably wait until the execs decide they want another bonus.

This is one of the reasons I'm not signed up for the company 401k plan -- their match is in company stock, and although the stock has reasonble value right now, I don't consider their stock certificates as being good enough to use for TP, let alone a portfolio. :)

I'm almost to the point where, if I can't get stuff that's made in the United States, I'd rather just buy it from a foreign company directly. This eliminates the middleman and the management at American companies that offshore production, but screw 'em, management is the enemy anyway.
:evilgrin:

Anyway, sorry for the rant. Thanks again for the kind welcome. :)