How does the world come to terms with the fact that much of their wealth is generated on the backs of poor people who are paid insulting wages for the products they produce? I heard recently over the summer that the sports manufacturing company, Nike, has chosen to move its factories from Indonesia to Vietnam. The reasoning behind this is that in Indonesia you have to pay the laborers $2 a day and in Vietnam, the average daily wage is only $1 a day. That child labor is also used should not come as any surprise either. This Christmas when you eagerly open up your presents that lie awaiting your zealous fingers, be sure to thank the Chinese prisoner that made it, or perhaps the 8 year old boy who worked 15 hour days chained to his work station. It would be nice if you could send them a little thank you note after you send one to father Christmas or to your parents. I'm sure they would really appreciate it.

And then, of course, we must come to terms with the hypocracy of it all. America, land of the free, home of the brave, protector of the intractable rights of man kind. Bill Clinton has continued China's privilege of most favored nation status, and in good imperial fashion continued to ally himself with many of the world's most notorious abusers of human rights. But this is nothing new, however, the longer it continues, the deeper our hypocracy threatens to undermine the very foundation of this nation.

During the American Civil War, America had to come to terms with the fact that much of its wealth and power was built off of slave labor imported from Africa. 150 years after the end of that year, I fail to see any significant difference between the role of slaves in America before the 1850's, and the role of cheap third world labor farms. The fact that any money is given to these workers is risible at best when compared with the ludicrous profits garnered by capitalist tycoons and executive CEOs that live in the financial capitals of the West. This is permitted to continue because the American public does not or chooses not to see the inhumane practices of other nations, and are assuaged from any culpability by the ephemeral pleasure Barbie Dolls bring our children. It is easier to ignore television images of starving children than it is to deny the existence of a large population of angry poor African Americans during the Civil War. Hence, the band goes marching on...