Should the United States Trade with Human Rights Violators?

Human rights violations are a huge issue right now. Should we be doing business with nations that insist on continuing unacceptable practices? Since most of the world insists on doing business for money instead of principle, it is hard to justify not doing business with these nations.

For the most part, human rights can be largely expressed as a cultural issue. Our culture views certain areas as important while other nations differ with us. For the sake of argument, let's see what reasons other nations might have for not trading with the United States for human rights violations.

One example would be that of capital punishment. The United States clings to this practice as justified, legal, and right. Nations like Mexico and Canada would dispute this point. We would find it offensive if either of these free trade partners were to slap us with economic sanctions until we corrected this difference. In their nations, we would be human rights violators.

The United States lags much of the free and not so free world in providing health care to each and every citizen on an equal basis without cost. For those who cannot get treatment for serious illnesses until they declare bankruptcy in this nation, this is certainly a human rights violation. Just ask Michael Moore. Even some of those human rights violators that we condemn provide health care for their citizens.

Let's take on poverty. Nearly 40% of Americans live in poverty conditions. About 20% of the nation lives in affluence at the same time. Somehow, this inequity is never accounted for when discussing human rights.

We have limited human rights to democracy and free speech for the most part. It is our standard of human rights that needs to be observed. So, with this in mind, doing business with the culturally diverse countries of the world may need to be rethought.