Is Starbucks' new effort a home run or a manipulative strikeout?

We've spotted the new Visibly Indivisible bracelets at DSM Starbucks and wondered what the deal was. The sitch is this: Starbucks partnered with GOOD Corp. and Opportunity Finance Network to create -- ahem -- an opportunity in the community. For $5, buyers get a Visibly Indivisible bracelet (made in America) and the satisfaction of knowing that some of their money will go into a communal pot of funds available for loans to small businesses.

Part of us hates that Starbucks is co-opting of a serious problem for their own marketing gain, and part of us is jealous for all the good buzz they're getting about it online. But we have to admit, maybe anything that sparks a conversation is good news for the economy.