potential trade policy (read thread)

[dead0man]

Should we limit trade with countries that don't have (or don't enforce) modern environmental and labor laws?  I'm very much for free trade, generally speaking, but it seems to me that if we won't let Bob's House of Toy Manufacturing build a factory in Toledo that belches hydrocarbons into the air while making his underpaid employees clean up an asbestos spill in their underwear (so they don't steal any of his precious asbestos), we probably shouldn't let Bob build his factory in the Chinese country side either and then sell his lead painted toys to our kids.  Of course, even if we wanted to, we couldn't just pass this today and enforce it tomorrow, it would wreck the economy.  But it seems we could pass it now and enforce it in 5 years with minimal damage to our economy.

So, what do we think, could we, should we?  I think we could accomplish a lot of worthwhile goals going this route.  Cleaner environment, more factory jobs for America's less educated, screws the PRC, helps other, more responsible developing nations.  Our disposable crap will be slightly more expensive.  I'm sure there are a few other pros and cons I'm forgetting or are not smart enough to think of, and that's where you all come in.

[dead0man]

Aye.  Does it matter if the goal isn't "protectionist" in nature?

[dead0man]

Is there anything we can do that could work?  I'm no environut, but closing down dirty factories here and moving them to China really does nothing to help the environment.  It just moves it out of our backyard.  Do we just have to wait until there is a strong middle class everywhere to stand up and bitch about local environmental issues?