New world leaves U.S. vulnerable

By Preet Anand

With the advent of rapid air travel, long-distance calling, the Internet and outsourcing, humanity's sense of being is becoming global.

Through the likes of Facebook, one can keep in touch just as well with a friend abroad in China as with one in Los Angeles. However, with globalization there are global consequences.

To cut costs, American companies have moved manufacturing to countries that have cheaper labor, such as China. Because of rapid air travel and very efficient shipping services, remote management of these facilities is possible. However, the same protocols of quality control and safety aren't as clearly maintained.

Children's toys that have been manufactured in China have been recalled in the U.S. and Germany due to the discovery of high lead content in the products. Subsequently, consumers have to buy a product that has traveled thousands of miles while being potentially harmful or not as well made.

In that case, who do you blame?

Do you blame the company who branded the merchandise?

Do you sue the Chinese factory that made the toys?

The company will tell you that the quality control was the responsibility of the contracted factory. But Chinese law may not allow the consumer to create a class-action lawsuit against the factory.

Additionally, the operations of many companies have become so diverse in area and nature that we can't be sure what we're supporting.

For example, Exxon Mobil is the largest oil company in the United States, and when we buy gas, it is often from its pipeline. However, Exxon Mobil refines Venezuelan oil, which fills the coffers of Venezuela's treasury. This stable wealth has given Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez the gall to call on other South American nations for a military alliance against America.

Some companies have grown to such international strength that they are almost their own countries.

One very clear example of this is military contractor Blackwater Worldwide. Staffed by Navy SEALS, intelligence officers and highly trained former military personnel, the company has over 900 security contractors working in Iraq. The company's database from which they draw contractors reportedly contains 21,000 former operatives, soldiers and retired law enforcement agents.

This means that the company has the capacity to access 21,000 Special Forces troops. This private army could probably beat most third-world militaries in a formal battle.

Globalization has led to cheaper toys, new wealth distribution and more access to culture, but it has also led to dramatic questions of trust and vulnerability.

Preet Anand is a sophomore bioengineering major.