Examining the cultural differences that lead to human rights violations. While not justifying the violation of human rights, how much are they worth when talking about trade?

Depending on your perspective, trading with nations guilty of human rights violations is either a non-point or a huge issue. 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.

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.

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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.

While I would never agree with solving internal problems with tanks, can we revisit Waco, Texas, about a decade ago? Whether you agree with the Branch Davidians or not, it is hard to say that their human rights were not at least bent considerably if not violated.

If we have an opportunity to make a profit that will improve our nation’s financial strength, why should be worry about cultural differences getting in the way? Let’s go ahead an take the money and run. We expect the rest of the world to take that approach with us. Fair is fair. We should have the same right to exploit the rest of the human rights violators in the same way that they do us.