That child labour is still so pervasive upsets many people in rich countries. The issue sends them clambering towards the moral high ground. In his speech accepting the Democratic nomination for the presidency, Al Gore made a pledge to squelch child labour by setting standards for American imports. McDonald's recently came under fire for buying the toys it hands out to children from a Chinese firm that employed 14-year-olds. Vicente Fox, Mexico's president-elect, received similar treatment when under-age workers were found on his family farm.
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