Every American high schooler enrolled in a U.S. history course should be able to tell you that when Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, the value of cotton grew exponentially. What made Whitney’s invention so innovative was how it made cotton processing more efficient, thus increasing the demand for labor. Students should also be able to tell you that the increased demand for labor was met through slavery. 

This story of justifying evil due to soaring profits because of an innocuous innovation is one of shame — one hopes we would learn from it. Yet, slavery is on the rise in the modern world. One of the more egregious examples is the China-based e-commerce and fast fashion brand Shein, which employs the practice. Stunningly, Shein has recently acquired the ethical fashion label Everlane to serve as a $100 million moral fig leaf. The deal isn’t just bad for our wardrobes. It’s bad for our souls.