The intersection of conflict is born out of the managerial fiduciary duty to maximize shareholder wealth within the constraints of the law. Business ethics argues otherwise. Stakeholders, not just shareholders, must be considered in decision making. Suppliers, communities, the environment, employees; All have a stake in the activities of a relevant business when the consequences of their decision making directly impact them. We can not, as many pro-business pundits who have you believe, rely on the "good will" of management. "Good will" must be legislated. What do we call the legislation of ethics? Regulation.

The whole argument against labor rights, against environmental protection, and against honest accounting regulation is based on the challenges of competitiveness in free trade.The pundits would argue that that regulation undermines the ability of American companies to compete in the free trade global marketplace. Tell me how we can call it free trade when we allow the importation of slave-labor merchandise produced in heavy polluting manufacturing plants? It is no wonder we can not compete, when we are required to pay our employees a dignified wage in factories that meet strict environmental rules. It is only free trade when our trading partners are forced to follow the same rules of ethics as we are.

If foreign nations wish to trade with us, we ought to demand that they follow a dollar-for-dollar concession in industry-specific regulation, be it labor, accounting, or environmental standards. If they import vehicles, they must compensate their employees the standard-of-living equivalent to American auto workers while additionally meeting the same strict environmental regulations as American companies must meet on our soil. Arguing that we must eliminate worker rights, ignore environmental concerns, and sacrifice our principles because foreign nations do not share our ethics perspective is simply wrong.

In the face of unfair and unethical foreign business competition, we compromise our ideals at great peril.

Free trade is not truly so until it is Fair Trade. We regulate our companies to secure the environment, provide for shareholder protection against criminal acts of management, and protect employees from unsafe and oppressive working conditions. Those who we trade with must be required to meet the same standards in order to qualify for tariff-free trade.