The High Price of Cheap Clothing

The deadly collapse of a garment factory in Bangladesh has increased political unrest in that country, and brand-name western clothing makers are accused of shirking responsibility. What about consumers who demand low prices? Could Bangladesh go the way of other Asian countries that enforce laws on wages and working conditions? Also, one hundred days into his second term, President Obama talks Syria, sequester and stalemate. On Reporter's Notebook, in a new book, Jim Wallis of Sojourners wants to start a national conversation about the "common good."

Banner image: Members of Border Guards of Bangladesh inspect the collapsed Rana Plaza building as they attempt to rescue garment workers from the rubble during their second part of the rescue operation, in Savar, outside Dhaka April 29, 2013. Photo by Khurshed Rinku/Reuters