The view of the public in a free trade environment that not all industries are equal is ethical (Schumacher, 2012). Ethics in free trade pegs in the ability of firms within a particular industry, say, the tobacco industry, to ensure that the working conditions of the participants throughout the supply chain, that is suppliers, retailers, and the consumers that almost none of them have adhered to.

The public does not unfairly target some industries. It is the duty of all industry to ensure that its products are at par with the required set standards, both in terms of quality, quantity, and supply (Schumacher, 2012). All industries have the ethical obligation of ensuring that their products are safe for consumption and that products that are harmful to the public do not find their way into the marketplace.

Nevertheless, just in case of any dangers associated with use and disposal of certain products, industries must be clear son this and provide the necessary information and guidance (Schumacher, 2012). Even though some industries as the tobacco industry often caution the consumers about the side effects of its products, most industries have failed in this light.

Companies have the ethical obligation to protect the consumers from consuming unhealthy products. Many people have suffered due to consumption of unhealthy products without their knowledge (Schumacher, 2012). For instance, the tobacco industry has the ethical obligation to reduce the harmful substance to levels that do not adversely affect human health.

Industries often focus and invest a significant proportion of their resources into profit-making activities (Gomes, 2003). Very few manufacturers have taken the ethical responsibility of ensuring conservation of the environment, however, most industries seem to forget that their success is not only pegged on the profits that they make annually, but also, on the impact that they impact on the surrounding communities in the name of corporate social responsibility. Notably, tobacco industry contributes significantly to the environmental degradation, including the famous global warming, as it involves the production of smoke and cutting of trees in most developing countries.

In this modern capitalist business world, senior executives of large, profit-making organizations often play a crucial part in shaping the life of the entire society (Gomes, 2003). It is typical of capitalist societies to have two major divisions, the public, and the private sector. In this regard, corporate executives exercise social authority that seeks its legitimacy from political power (Schumacher, 2012). Political power is a form of capitalism that results into public capitalism. The private companies utilize resources that are owned by the private sector, and the public companies use public resources.

Most corporate executives of public corporations hold political authority that comes with their appointments from the state, while private sector managers also draw their political power from the legitimization of their positions from the shareholders and the board of directors (Schumacher, 2012). Both the public and private sector have the mutual interest that requires cooperation and coordination. The successes of the firms in various industries depend on the decisions made by these corporate executives.

It is conjointly impossible for a company to cater to both its best interest and that of the consumer (Gomes, 2003). A keen look at the code of ethics of almost all companies states that the interest of the company is key to personal interests, in respect of their workers. It is evident that companies prioritize their interests to the interests of the consumers, especially when it comes to issues to do with corporate social responsibility (Gomes, 2003). All firms charge exorbitant prices, regardless of the purchasing powers of the users. Companies for a long time have proven to be self-centered and are concerned more about profits than the welfare of the public.