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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: geode00 who wrote (173411)	10/27/2005 3:43:04 PM
From: Sun Tzu	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

>> but isn't that just the problem we have in the ME? American companies go to a place like Saudi... No, these are not the same issue at all. In my example, we pass environment protection laws and a chemical company can just do an end run about it by going to Mexico or some African country where it can "persuade" the politicians to let it dump toxic waste wherever it wants. Then it can claim to have moved due to "competitive pressures" (even though it has to pay so much more for relocating the engineers and other skilled workers there) rather than escaping the law, as is really the case. Whereas your example is a case of cultural clash between individual citizens and the sovreign government of the host country. I believe people should either abide by the laws of the host country or get the hell out. American women may fight for their rights to drive in US, but they sure don't have a God given right to drive in Arabia. >> if we demand that other countries have our standard of living before we do business there I make no such demand. I have no interest to enforce our standard of living to others. I am simply saying that our corporate citizens should be held by our safety and environment laws no matter where they go. Don't you think there is something appalling about having children slave over under poor working conditions so that you can have a cheap shoe or cloths? Don't you think a company should not be causing countless misery by dumping its toxic waste in the third world so you can have cheaper plastics? My position is defensible both on ethics and economics. >> I have a basic problem with the idea that low level work, for example rote manufacturing, should be outsourced to other countries The issue is not "should". Of course there should not be a law forcing such a decision. But neither should you tell me where I can and cannot spend my money. If I want to establish a factory at the Bay of Bangal instead of Portland, then that is my choice, not yours. By the same token, you have the right not to spend your money on my product if my product was produced by means that are illegal in US. What is more, you should write to your congressman and do whatever you can to see that the laws you supported are held for those who wish to trade with us. It is as simple as that.