"Should it really be the case that once a country’s share of world exports crosses a certain threshold, that country has a free pass to set up concentration camps?"
I can think of countries with much smaller economic power that seem to have a free hand in committing human rights abuses. Israel and Saudi Arabia, two countries that the United States has a very friendly relationship with spring to mind.
If we were very concerned about human rights w/r/t our trading partners, we could exercise a lot more leverage over Israel and Saudi Arabia than we could over China. Why don't we do it then?
I think the answer is that Israel and Saudia Arabia can be counted on to do whatever the US needs of them, economically and politically, whereas China does its own thing. If you obey the US, we'll look the other way on human rights abuses. If you don't, we'll take you down if you're small enough (Iran, Venezuela, Iraq, Nicaragua, etc), or fret about what to do with you if you're too big (China).
"Should it really be the case that once a country’s share of world exports crosses a certain threshold, that country has a free pass to set up concentration camps?"
I can think of countries with much smaller economic power that seem to have a free hand in committing human rights abuses. Israel and Saudi Arabia, two countries that the United States has a very friendly relationship with spring to mind.
If we were very concerned about human rights w/r/t our trading partners, we could exercise a lot more leverage over Israel and Saudi Arabia than we could over China. Why don't we do it then?
I think the answer is that Israel and Saudia Arabia can be counted on to do whatever the US needs of them, economically and politically, whereas China does its own thing. If you obey the US, we'll look the other way on human rights abuses. If you don't, we'll take you down if you're small enough (Iran, Venezuela, Iraq, Nicaragua, etc), or fret about what to do with you if you're too big (China).
I'm interested to hear alternate explanations.