Surviving Capitalism (Not) : Ikea's Third World outsourcing adventure -- in the U.S.

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Ikea's Third World outsourcing adventure -- in the U.S.

Click here to access article by Andrew Leonard from Salon.

This offers more evidence to support a view I've held for the past 10 years: the world is changing into a tiny 1st world and a huge 3rd world, everywhere in the world. The US is not exempt!

Mostly it will be only workers in the US military-industrial complex that will enjoy 1st world treatment. Thus, it appears that world capitalists have assigned to the US the function of supplying young men and women to serve in their mercenary armies and to produce weapons of mass destruction.

With US unemployment so high and limited educational opportunities due to all the cutbacks, joining the armed forces or working in military production facilities are largely the only opportunities available for young people hoping to support a decent lifestyle and retirement.