LTTE: Williams - Starvation, Outsourcing, and Global Warming 10 June 2006

[rickrok66]

Walter Williams writes about John Stossel’s new book, “Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity” in his June 10th editorial, “Help now available for Americans”. Mr. Williams chooses three of Stossel’s premises to show the media’s ignorance of issues: starvation in Africa, outsourcing, and global warming.

Mr. Williams critiques how the media report on the three examples, but he doesn’t recognize that each is a true problem and that each one is inter-related. Mr. Stossel and Mr. Williams are correct that the media have been reduced to shallow 24 hour news channels that chase ratings based on sensationalist stories all in a venue of sound bites. The media’s treatment of a series of issues doesn’t take away the seriousness of them.

The federal government could help reduce global warming and improve the lot of Africa and South America by just ratifying the Kyoto Treaty and eliminating the debt to the third world. Further, by establishing a true fair trade policy, developing nations would have an opportunity to sell their resources, such as sugar, to markets in the United States, rather than have unfair tariffs and subsidies stacked against them.

Outsourcing is a fact. It is natural flow of the market for capital to seek the cheapest labor in order to maximize profit. If U.S. corporations were required to pay the U.S. minimum wage to all employees, even ones overseas and the laws were enforced, then there might be an incentive to keep labor in the country of origin. Some conservatives may argue that the U.S. minimum wage is not appropriate for a foreign market since it is based on an American standard. I submit that the minimum wage hasn’t been raised since the last president was in office and since the dollar is worthless overseas, $5.15 an hour is probably an appropriate wage for outsourcing. If the government worked with international agencies to establish global standards of employment rather than open markets for corporations, then we could alleviate some of the suffering in the southern hemisphere.

Finally, blaming the media is not going to solve any of the world’s problems. The only way to solve our problems is beginning in the third world though a foreign policy of working with international organizations and based on humanitarian ideals.