1) I find the whole exercise futile. If a plain statement of fact, e.g. that Western (or any other) consumerism is dependent from neocolonialist exploitation of so called 3rd and 4rh worlds associates with guilt trip and produces emotional discomfort, that is not a reason to stop speaking truth (and feeling empathy with the emotional discomfort). We know the crimes past and present and believe in the power of forgiving, not least for our own health, the issue is to stop the crimes from continuing so that we can go on living - on this planet.
2) - Fair trade as a whole is positive step, but not without problems. Nigeria producing "fair trade" flowers to European market (to get cash to pay interests on the neocolonialist debts) instead of food for local people is just one example of the problems.
- Been very closely involved in the local food movement so yes, it rings a bell.
- What about my computer? I'm not anti-technology, just anti-technocracy and hopefully you and others soon find way to make internet hardware production and upkeep sustainable material cycle. And by sustainable I don't mean bunch of poor Chinese people in extreme poverty recycling the waste from West with the risk for their health and life.
- I've mentioned also Terra Preta, but the main point is not to try to fix the problem by creating new problems but to stop causing it.
3) Liberal middle class is welcome to join but not to take over. What they choose to do is of course for them to decide.
4) Speaking in the frame of reference you brought up, European philosophy (phenomenology of Heidegger, Derrida etc. etc.) self-criticizing European metaphysics. I've read and discussed them and lost deeper interest and moved on when I found out that the core of their criticism and search has been expressed much more clearly e.g. in Buddhist philosophy.