corporations
Labels for slave labor produced goods (a.k.a., Wal Mart's worst nightmare)
What if on every product produced in factories that pays their workers two cents an hour or something, there was a label on the packaging that said, “Inspector general’s warning: This product may have been produced by slave labor.”?
Like the same deal as with cigarettes, except it’s a public service for a moral, not a health issue. It'd be like giving a scarlet letter to all the companies treating people like shit.
Products that rise above a certain standard would be allowed to not have the label. For example, most American-made products wouldn’t have to carry it because the majority of our workers are not mistreated. Where the line could be drawn is debatable, but it's just be nice to have an explicit, obvious way to identify the worst offenders.
Wednesday Open Thread
- China announces media crackdown. Also, don't eat Chinese dumplings for awhile. Maybe they got confused, thought they were making hot dogs?
- A new Jeremy Scahill article about private contractors in Iraq --- and beyond. Can you say shady?
- Congressional investigatory arm GAO reports that the Bush admin spent 1.6 billion dollars on public relations between 2003 and 2005.
- Interesting UNICEF piece about Palestinian youth centers.
- 200+ people killed in 4 coordinated truck bombings in northern Iraq.
Supreme Court upholds freedom of speech for corporations, but not students
WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court gave President Bush and Republican leaders two important victories today by clearing the way for corporate-funded broadcast ads before next year's election and by shielding the White House's "faith-based initiative" from challenge in the courts.
Both came in 5-4 rulings led by new Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.
Brazil breaks patent on AIDS drug
Brazil, you crazy Leftists, you.
BRASILIA, May 4 (Reuters) - President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva signed a decree on Friday authorizing Brazil to break the patent on an AIDS drug made by Merck & Co. Inc. <MRK.N> and import a generic version from India instead.
It is the first time Brazil has bypassed a patent to acquire cheaper drugs for its AIDS prevention program, although it has threatened to do so before to force drug makers to lower prices.