Advocating for a sweatshop?

The other day I was with some people and we were discussing ethics and how the majority opinion isn't always the best barometer for whether an ethical position is 'right' or not. We can all think of certain situations, whether it was American slavery or the German Holocaust, where certain majorities were clearly in the wrong. During the discussion, someone mentioned 'child labor' as an instance where at one time a majority had thought that idea to be ok that now clearly was in the wrong. The discussion then spread into whether or not it was right for American or other multi-national companies to use child labor (or cheaper labor) in other parts of the world. Most of the folks in our discussion believed whole heartedly that such a practice was wrong, that if companies have to abide by child labor laws, minimum wages, and other restrictions here in the US that they ought to abide by those same principles even if another country's laws don't compel them to. Myself and another person tried to argue the opposite point, that perhaps child labor, or cheaper labor, while not good in the long run, may be ok or even good in the short run if a country's economy is going to develop. After the discussion, I came across this op ed piece from the NY Times that essentially argues that point (I actually found the article from Brian McLaren's blog).

The question for churches and Christ-followers who advocate for justice type issues is to realize that some of the answers to economic injustice aren't as easy or simplistic as exporting American-based labor laws and minimum wage laws. While there is some universality to values and codes of conduct regardless of where you live or where you do business, I think we forget that economies evolve. Christ-followers may need to advocate or even defend what the majority might consider unethical business practices and realize that while unfair to our eyes, a sweatshop is one rung up the ladder and one step away from a life of utter poverty. I don't think our advocacy ends there, but we might be challenged with the idea that it might begin there.