As an argentine living in the states with American parents, I’m not entirely disconnected from the "motherland" but can't help but notice the flaming ignorance coming from many of the people in this discussion.
There is one thing that most are forgetting.
The people in Afghanistan, China, Colombia, Canada, Mexico... (the rest of the world) all are human beings as well, all have needs, all have wants, but there is one exception to many of the humans in these countries, they don't always get their wants, and half of the time don't get there needs
(I can only speak to South American countries on this since I grew up in Argentina and have lived in Bolivia and spent a fair amount of time in Colombia)
When I was in Colombia I spent some time with a coffee farmer and he had told me that many of the coffee farmers in the aria could not continue making a living off of farming coffee (they couldn't pay the big man that actually owned the land that they farmed on) because the farmer had to sell the coffee to the land owner and then he would sell the coffee to the Colombian market and then the big American company would buy it in the end and sell it to you. Do you know how much the Colombian farmer would make off of his coffee that he worked day in and day out to farm 7 cents per pound (how much do you pay for it at you local store?)
So many of these farmers switched to farming coca and then could actually make enough to feed their families.
You can call them lazy all you want but there are the rest of the Americans beside yourself that make up this country. The ones that watch more the 6 hours of TV a day, and the obese ones as well, they usually end up in the lazy category.
That’s just my 2 cents

This anti - American Jealousy is the reason we don't want anymore people here, and if you do come here EMBRACE AMERICA, MAKE IT YOUR COUNTRY, STRIVE TO MAKE IT BETTER AND FORGET ABOUT YOUR OLD COUNTRY!

Is globalization really that bad? I mean, the stuff is made in China, but the profits are going to a US company most of the time. I dont know, but I think its not a bad idea to use up China, India's, and the middle easts resources (oil anybody?) when we can get them at a fraction of what they are worth?

I work 7 days a week most of the year and go to school and help homeless people and teach kids in my spare time what I know about astronomy and science. ... So before you try to rationalize your twisted thinking, why don't you spend ten hours with me next Christmas, passing out toys to dying under priveledged children right here in Los Angeles? Then when we're done with that we'll go to skid row, and give clothes to homeless people.

Here's another tip, Mister lets' have everything all fair bleeding heart fool; nations have been taking over nations ever since the beginning of man. So when you mention disproportionate and entitled to I become upset!

Several years back, I heard a rumor that Patagonia used cheap "third world" labor to make its clothes. Can anyone shed some light on this?

These are the kind of statements that are disturbing. Its like saying, "I don't know much about Iraq or where Iran is, but I am just glad I don't live there." You don't have to agree with other people's opinions, but please, lets reason just a little better.

A couple of thoughts on this...

1) The US Dow Jones industrial average fell .7% in 2005, so it's hard to claim that outsourcing our manufacturing base to third-world countries is the real answer to our country's current economic situation. By comparison, the Nikkei index (Japan) rose 40% last year and the Dax (Germany) was up 27%.

2) Even though profits do increase to US companies as the result of outsourcing and lowering production costs--that is only one side of the equation. The resulting loss of relatively high paying manufacturing jobs here in the US lowers the standard of living for average Americans. This in turn, diminishes the ability of average Americam workers to purchase the goods and services that drive our economy. It's a downward spiral.

Curt

I think I have something crawling on me......oh man its that sixleggedinsect again..... Not only did you attack me, but it was you who initiated the emotional content into this thread, as the rest of us were discussing the nature of the problem and how we may over come it.

If you have Ideas to help this economy then maybe we can all learn something in this thread! On the other hand if you want to go the other direction, then you might do just as well to crawl away into a hole or somewhere better suited for insects.

metolius owns lucky (based in Spain) who makes all their biners and other forged stuf

just on a side note coca cola companies in Colombia won't allow the workers to have unions, and when anyone organizes or talks about organizing one they kill them, yes coca cola has them killed
and don't even get me started on u.s. military action in other countries

I was just rereading this post, and have a question: why is this Americas fault? I know that Coca Cola is not America, just an international company that started in America. Maybe you should look to your own legal system for not punishing the ones involved in these killings. After all, if its not against the law to for Coke to kill people, it should be. And if your government wont do anything about it, push them from power. If it comes to revolution, I'm sure after a few thousand people die the UN will ask the USA (it always seems to be us...) to send you some troops so your not all killed, and then you can establish your own, just government.
Maybe that is all a little far fetched, but its not our fault Coke kills people. We police foreign company's here in the USA so i think its your responsibility to do it in your country.

Wow this is your most diluted post yet.

Uh, coke is most certainly US. So is walmart and Kodak. They may have international arms but the head is US controlled.

This is almost like Walmart (a company that exerts more control over it's outlying resources than probably any other) saying we don't know what goes on in our stores, or the factories our goods are produced in. Ignorance isn't a defense regardless.

The US only sends peace keeping forces where it is beneficial to US interest. There have been exceptions to this rule but generally it's the case.

And last I checked the US was badly behind on it's UN contributions.

Don't believe your country is perfect. The foundations it was formed on are models for the world but the evolution of the nation is not the intention of the founders. I'll by that the constitution couldn't forsee the future but some things were certainly more important than others. A good example is the fact that the founders never intended to have a single all powerful leader. If you haven't noticed the president has gradually become ever more important. And today this president is aiming to consolidate all he can under the premise of a neverending war...Last I checked only congress has the power to declare war or military action lasting beyond 100 days.

Get your head out of your ass, be proud, but be realistic.

If Target, a French based company, had someone killed here it would not go unpunished..

I think you missed the point: this is an example of a situation that is made to be Americas fault that we have no control over. So what if Coke is headed in the US? If Coke killed someone here in the US it damn sure would be punished to the extent of the law. If Target, a French based company, had someone killed here it would not go unpunished.

What was the US's interest in the Tsunami relief? I know our troops were there. I know our tax dollars are going there. And this unending war which I assume you mean Iraq, was authorized by congress. 296-133 in the house and 77-23 in the Senate. All this happened Oct 10, 2002. I'm pretty sure everyone in the States and probably most of the civilized world knew that one, except you.

My country is not perfect but its pretty damn good.

Get your head out of your ass, bash on America if you like, but check your facts.

Target was founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1902, and is still based there

Actually, no, I mean the never ending war on terror! And congress is handcuffed at this point on Iraq but it made it clear that the US is pulling out sometime soon. Congress DID NOT DECLARE WAR ON IRAQ OR TERRORIST. Therefore the president HAS NO AUTHORITY UNDER THE CONSTITUTION TO EXPAND HIS POWERS which he would in a time of war. BTW, Congress was also duped by a misleading president into the war. A war the president wanted since the first day of his presidency.

My favorite all time quoute is during the 2000 pres election debates with
Gore. President Bush stated, as president this nation will not undertake nation building. Funny we've already undertaken rebuilding of at least two nations.

As far as the Tsunami, some things are just too big to pass up. Even the US government needs good press sometimes. Remember imediately after the tsunami US gov got bashed for not doing enough. And I do think I clearly stated that the US occasionally does something not in it's best interest. Ironically, I have no problem with our country looking out for itself, I have a problem with idiots in this country believing our government is so benevolent that it hurts the US. What hurt the US in both credibility and financially for probably another generation is the pre emptive war on a nation that had nothing for us to preempt.

You are sadly confused. And I feel bad for you. I feel bad for myself too because people like you are the reason Americans are increasingly hated throughout the world.