I like Cameron Diaz, but hope she can play better role ... not a
empty headed cutie.
I am a trekky ... I particularly like original and 2nd generation.
For me, "fair trade" sounds very fishy ... you are talking about forcing developing economies to have safety and environmental standards equivalent to the developed world. I still remember the words of one of my teachers at Columbia, J. Bhagwati. "If those kids in India are not allowed to work at "slave" or "sweat shop" factories, they would be starved." I doubt all those people asking fair trade are ready to donate money to Indian kids so that they do not need to worry about their bread and go to school. I believe everyone should be given an opportunity to choose his or her priorities.
Those guys doing demonstration in Seattle, Washington D.C. and now in Melbourne are talking about democracy and representation of ordinary people. However, are they democratically selected? Who funds them? What kind of political background they have? At least in Australia, some of them seem to be ex-communists/socialists. How they can claim themselves peaceful if their aim is prevent the conferences take place.
Free trade does not widen the gap between rich and poor countries. Because of freer trade all those East Asian countries have realised a rapid growth. The Asian financial crisis is just a hick-up (except in Indonesia.). Those countries left behind such as India is picking up the pace of growth. In the case of India, skilfulness of their people particularly in software is helping the growth. In Africa, countries are becoming poorer, but not because of free trade but because of the lack of it.
Yes, the gap between the rich and poor inside those developing countries are widening. However, it may be inevitable process in development as the developed economies have experienced. Also, in the place such as South America and India, big income gaps between rich and poor has been long-term problem.
I just remember some B-class science fiction stories, talking about green terrorism agaist "world economy" or "globarization". Unfortunately, they will not be fictions ... I can see more extreme group using cowardly tactics such as bombing against some global institutions or companies in the near future.