I don't necessary espouse or agree with every single point in these articles but found them extremely helpful in understanding this subject and the current phenomenon of globalization and increasing worldwide income inequality.
A Race To the Bottom: Globalisation and China's Labour standards by Anita Chan
The Chinese government rejoiced on the occasion of gaining World Trade Organisation membership in November 2001. There was an expectation in Peking that once the country became integrated into the world economy, it would be on the right track to attain economic prosperity. There might be some bumps along the way: some industries and agriculture would suffer, affecting employment, but as a whole, it was predicted, China would gain. Employment has been a major concern in China, and the government's best sell was that foreign investment would increase and the labourintensive manufacturing sector would gain: according to one estimate, 2.8 million additional jobs in textiles and 2.6 million jobs in the garment trade, as the constraints of quotas for garments and textiles end. Read more...
Globalization That Works for Working Americans by Jeff Faux
Competently managed, America's integration into the global economy can contribute to increasing living standards for workers in America and in the rest of the world. Unfortunately, the process is being tragically mismanaged, carried out not with a carefully considered plan but with a chaotic patchwork of international trade and investment agreements and policies increasingly unaccountable to any country's citizens. Read more...
Close to Slavery: Guestworker Programs in the United States by Southern Poverty Law Center
In his 2007 State of the Union Address, President Bush called for legislation creating a "legal and orderly path for foreign workers to enter our country to work on a temporary basis." Doing so, the president said, would mean "they won't have to try to sneak in." Such a program has been central to Bush's past immigration reform proposals. Similarly, recent congressional proposals have included provisions that would bring potentially millions of new "guest" workers to the United States. Read more...