Betrayal, LGM Style

I waited until Erik left the country, then repeatedly stabbed him in the back.  In the metaphorical sense, of course.

My colleague Erik Loomis has tried to answer those questions in Out of Sight, a book coming out in March.Loomis argues that the United States, by managing import standards, has in the past and can in the future substantially modify the employer-employee relationship in countries that export to the United States. Loomis suggests that the United States create import restrictions based on labor standards, a practice that has enjoyed some success in the past.

Loomis’ argument is relevant for the Asia-Pacific in that the proposed regulations would directly target many countries in Asia and Latin America; indeed, virtually all of the exports the U.S. draws from developing countries come from these regions. A more labor-friendly foreign policy could have significant social and economic effects across the region.

But there are two caveats.