Airlines and CO2: Trade wars and morals

Trade wars and morals

Dec 22nd 2011, 15:03 by M.S.

LET'S say you think enslaving children is bad, and you decide that foreign companies that use forced child-labour should be barred from marketing their wares in the United States. Should that be allowed, under international trade laws? What if the company in question is breaking no laws in the country where it uses such labour? Isn't that country being unfairly attacked? Who is the United States Congress to decide what kinds of labour should or should not be legal in another country? Would that country not have the right to retaliate by barring imports of some American products?

Human rights and the UN

Apr 5th 2007, 21:09 by The Economist | WASHINGTON

SIR —

If the United Nations were actually serious about human rights, it would apply the principles to its own operations. The UN has endlessly preached against slave and forced labor. The vast laogai forced labor factories, farms, and other facilities in China pose an obvious source of such goods. However, the UN does not itself refuse to buy goods made by forced and slave labor. Moreover, UNICEF, which is supposed to advance the interests of children does not ban the purchase of goods made by child labor or forced child labor. Politicians, heal thyselves first!