[Eric]

And then there is the bigger picture ... major corporations are moving jobs to third world countries in order to save money not only by paying lower wages but by bypassing all that working class people have fought for: a safe workplace, unemployment insurance, workers compensation, reasonable hours etc. If companies set up shop in a first world country they have to abide by the laws enacted on behallf of workers. So, good paying jobs leave say, Lancashire, and end up as sweat shop jobs in Sri Lanka. The company increases its profits ... to the point where it can easily afford lawyers and Google Page Ranking people to deflect the flack ... the economy in Lancashire suffers (sure there are jobs at McDonald's) and the poor sods overseas work for peanuts, if they are lucky. And of course, the quality controls are iffy. It seems that every day stuff is being recalled because it is not safe ... too much lead in the paint or something (As an aside, my mum must have hated me because she bought me toy soldiers made out of lead ... not just the paint the whole damn toy!)

And what about the shipping of the stuff. Ships no longer are crewed by highly trained seamen. They are registered in Panama and Liberia rather than London or Montreal because England and Canada insist that ships registered in their countries are safe ... they float, their radar works, the Captain is sober and literate, and they don't leak oil whenever they are parked.

Enough ranting for now ....