Submitted by John House, Mar 8, 2008 23:57

Maybe they really would prefer Jihadists in Bangladesh or Maoist insurgents in India. Maybe a FARC-type insurgency in Mexico is a price worth paying for a semi-skilled work force in the United States. Competition is the price we must pay for world peace.

I put the smart money on diplomatic pressure to assure open markets and fair and transparent legal systems so businesses are paid for their work and workers are paid for their efforts. In Peru, a young electrical engineer quit work after being unpaid for three months. One man complained that the cost of graft (and not wages) in Mexico was too high, so his company's manufacturing went to the Far East.

Abundance depends on the opportunity to enter worthwhile businesses and rewards for those who produce. That is a world-wide value that creates world-wide prosperity.

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