“The Gear Biz” by Hal Clifford (HCN, 10/27/03: The
Gear Biz) acknowledged the deleterious effects of NAFTA and the WTO
on U.S. manufacturing jobs, but failed to provide the perspective
of U.S. workers put out of work by such policies. What do the
Navajos who used to work in the Osprey textile factory have to say
about the decision to move operations to Vietnam?
Clifford did not suggest that the policies of economic
globalization should be changed; rather, he suggested that the
West’s only hope for any sort of “sustainable” economy is to
accept the unstable and speculative trends of the corporate global
economy.
Osprey founder Mike Pftotenhauer’s comment
that “when the American consumer begins to understand all the
hidden costs that underlay cheap goods, maybe they will find it
truly more economical to buy their goods locally made” was the only
hint of hope the article gave for stable manufacturing jobs in the
West. But dropping responsibility on “consumer choice” instead of
citizen action to create a sustainable economy is a sad diversion
from the ideals of democracy that supposedly underlie our society.
“The Big Story Written Small” by Ray Ring (HCN, 10/14/03:
The Big Story Written Small), described the loss of locally
controlled mass media to concentrated ownership by large
corporations and the accompanying loss of thoughtful journalism. To
meet the need for bold and provocative analysis in journalism
instead of acceptance of the status quo, HCN could provide a
stronger critique of corporate global economic policies and inspire
democratic citizen — not “consumer” — action for
change.
Miguel Flynn
Arcata,
California
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Questioning the New World Order.
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