• bloc said on Jul 11, 2007....

  So I take it you're for fair trade instead of free trade? Welcome to liberalism ;)

• SeanRenaud said on Jul 11, 2007....

  I'm very liberal socially already.  I don't mind that there are rules, I mind some of the rules.  We have FDA regulations, you can't meet them you can't trade with us.  I might be personally appalled that the Chinese can get away with what equates to slave labor but :shrug:  I don't think that should be illegal. 

• bloc said on Jul 11, 2007....

  our trade agreements should be based on a minimum level of labor, safety, and environmental standards. 

• SeanRenaud said on Jul 11, 2007....

  I'm not opposed to that.  Though we would have a hard time criticizing other nations on there enviromental standards.  Besides many of them are developing nations.  So let me get this straight for the sake of argument.  We should have pity on the illegals sneaking into our country because they are trying to make their lives better, but we shouldn't trade with countries that dirty the skies as they try to better themselves?  :-p
   
  I definitely agree on safety for both the workers and more importantly for the consumer.  It should reach our minimal standards.  As for labor I'm sorta weird on that.  I'd be willing to settle for a massive tariff that we would tell them is graduated somehow vs their wages.  If their workers are able to live middle class lives (whatever that is in their chosen nation.)

• bloc said on Jul 11, 2007....

  "We should have pity on the illegals sneaking into our country because they are trying to make their lives better, but we shouldn't trade with countries that dirty the skies as they try to better themselves?"
  
  This makes perfect sense to me.

• silverwhisper said on Jul 12, 2007....

  you'd think that american companies farming out work to chinese companies would know these things. such companies that fail to do their homework will get bitten in the ass, and it's their own gorrammed fault.
  
  ed

• SeanRenaud said on Jul 12, 2007....

  That makes NO sense bloc.  We shouldn't be actively trying to keep people from breaking our laws and entering the nation illegally because we understand that life sucks in country X.
   
  We should couple this with embargos against country X that will prevent them from advancing their society and thus life will continue to degenerate there encouraging more of them to enter our nation?
   
   

• bloc said on Jul 12, 2007....

  you said that we should have "pity". Having pity doesn't imply what you state in your last comment ;)
  
  
  I don't think fair trade will prevent them from advancing. I think they will meet the minimum standards, after all they do want those american dollars, and that their citizens will have better lives. Shitty labor in environmental laws is not an improvement for the working poor of a given nation in the long run. It may seem like it in the short term

• SeanRenaud said on Jul 12, 2007....

  I agreed with you on the labor laws.  Like I said, it's not like US enviromental laws are all that great in comparison to pretty much anybody. 

• bloc said on Jul 12, 2007....

  "it's not like US enviromental laws are all that great in comparison to pretty much anybody. "
  
  They are much better than china's!

• SeanRenaud said on Jul 12, 2007....

  Fair enough.  We are definitely worlds a head of them in human rights.

Comment on "Toxic Toothpaste!"

Currently tagged	trade china (Click to add tags below)
Tag this post	(Separate tags using commas, for example: New York, dating, vegetarian)
Your comment