<div>Jeff et. al.</div>
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<div>I apologize for the mistaken sending of the incomplete response that posted to the list today... It must be a wayward finger that caused this...</div>
<div>I won't blame my software or computer.</div>
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<div>Jeff, I think the USA should keep trading with China, but take a more aggressive stance toward not allowing US based multinationals to be complicit in violating or tolerating labor, environmental or human rights abuses in foreign nations. I think it is a valid moral argument that consumers and citizens of the USA can and should insist that the products they are buying imported from other nations are not associated with labor, environmental or human rights abuses, whether the products come from US based multinationals or not. They can vote with their wallet, and also pressure our government to adopt more aggressive regulation of US based multinationals to avoid labor, environmental or human rights abuses being committed or tolerated in foreign nations.
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<div>I thought it was rather clear from my previous responses that I support more firm regulation of US based multinationals, to ensure they are not complicit with violations of labor, environmental or human rights law when operating in foreign nations, and not just based on the laws of the nation they are operating in. And that those who raise these issues in regards to hesitation to heartily support Wal-Mart's expansion in the US, are raising significant and valid moral issues, along with the argument that corporations that gain significant competitive advantages over US based manufacturers by taking advantage of a lack of labor, environmental or human rights law, or enforcement of such law, in other nations, laws that US based manufacturers must follow, can have negative impacts on US workers and jobs, and our economy.
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<div>It appears that our brief discussion on this issue was approached too "personally." So I will let other scholars, who know far more than I do, present some of the complex issues, arguments and solutions relating to these issues.
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<div>I am sure Jeff has heard of the Alien Torts Claims Act? There is debate that in fact US based multinationals can be held liable within the US in US courts for human rights violations in foreign nations. Some think certain applications of law in this regard to be invalid, but the cases have been in court, nonetheless.
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<div>Information at the links below relating to multinationals, and the legal and regulatory environment, both domestic and international, that addresses assuring they are not violating labor, environmental and human rights laws:
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<div><a href="http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/display.article?id=4131">http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/display.article?id=4131</a></div>
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<div><a href="http://www.earthrights.org/files/Reports/inourcourt.pdf">http://www.earthrights.org/files/Reports/inourcourt.pdf</a></div>
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<div><a href="http://law.vanderbilt.edu/journal/37-01/pagnattaro.pdf">http://law.vanderbilt.edu/journal/37-01/pagnattaro.pdf</a></div>
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<div>Ted Moffett</div>
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