In the past, Nike might have denied responsibility. But, fearing that its brand might be tarnished in the eyes of campus customers, the firm chose instead to mediate between factory managers and workers. The same approach informs the Clinton initiatives. In its uphill battle against domestic sweatshops, the Labor Department began to go after the big companies that buy from them. On the international front, the administration last month instructed U.S. importers to notify customs officials if they suspect their goods were made with forced child labor.
Some critics dismiss such initiatives as cultural imperialism.
There is nothing imperialistic about fighting an abuse that the whole world is ashamed of.