Los Angeles Valley College Pepsi Burma Connection Levi Strauss Co and China Questions

Consider the cases “Pepsi’s Burma Connection” & “Levi Strauss & Co. and China.” Levi Strauss and Pepsi are each trying to strike a balance between profit and protecting human rights (or at least corporate image) while still participating in the nations where human rights abuses are certainly taking place.

1. Can a business operate ethically in an area that condones human rights abuses? If so, how?
2. What is our responsibility, as consumers, towards people suffering human rights abuses in foreign lands? (For example, do we have any duties towards them? Should we be concerned about the consequences (for them) of our actions?)
3. Should governments use the law to try to prevent companies from working with human rights abusers (trade embargo, etc)? Why or why not?