NN们，俺还有一个月就考了，第一篇ISSUE，帮忙啊~~~~

100. “In order to force companies to improve policies and practices considered unethical or harmful, society should rely primarily on consumer action—such as refusal to buy products—rather than legislative action.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

Should consumer actions against the companies that practise unethically or harmfully be enough to force them to improve their policies and practices? This problem seems to arouse controversy between different opinion groups. Whereas some people advocate that it is sufficient to depend on the efforts of the customers, others may strongly oppose that government should play a more pivotal role in this process. Considering that the answer to this question should incorporate all relevant aspects, I would like to advocate that both customers and governments are needed to corporate to address this issue.

Firstly, I believe that as the primary financial sources of the companies, the consumers exert an indispensable impact on the operations of companies. Suppose, for example, if most of the important clients acknowledge that the company to which they are loyal has made unethical mistakes, which have an enormous negative effect on the society, they will fell shamed because they indirectly support the mistakes. Inevitably, they will boycott the products of the company. On no account can we image how considerable the loss will be. APP(ASIA PULP&APER CO LTD ) is a good illustration of this fact. Because medias covered the scandal that this company has massively destroyed the forests in China, APP evoked a staggering crisis of public belief, leading to the refusal of its mainland customers. The action has greatly decreased the sales of goods produced by APP, what is worse; it will be difficult for this company to recover its reputation in the long run.

Secondly, customers are able to, to some extent, compel companies to avoid unethical operations by their ”money votes”, nevertheless, we cannot emphasize the significance of government too much. It is relatively difficult to call for all, at least the majority of the customers who are in various locations to be unified. Therefore, it needs the government to take some mandatory measures to regulate the actions of the companies, such as, enact some strict regulations and laws, supervise the implementations of these companies and punish those who violate the laws. Only when these methods are guaranteed by nation power can we achieve the projected goal.

Some of my dissenters may argue that even doing so cannot prevent the companies from committing detrimental behaviors. Addimittely, it may be the case in the short run. However, in the foreseeable future, these companies will be obliged to pay the fiddler.

In final analysis, because of above-mentioned causes, which probably interweave into an organic whole and become more compelling, we safety arrive at the conclusion that addressing the problem of ethics needs the mutual efforts of both consumers and governments..