There’s been quite the kerfluffle in the blogosphere surrounding Bob Schaffer‘s presentation of the Northern Marianas as a good example of a guest worker program. If you haven’t heard about the background story, you certainly will in the coming months. Big Oil Bob has reopened the books on some huge ethics ghosts from Republican past: Jack Abramoff and Tom DeLay. But wait, it gets better. The story also deals with … forced abortions. I’m going to enjoy watching Republicans trying to spin their way out from all this.
The least shocking thing about this is the utilization of sweatshops in the Marianas. As disgusting as it is, it’s a logical extension of the right-wing effort to destroy workers’ rights here in the United States. What would corporations give to employ workers for next to nothing while increasing the prices on products sold in the U.S.? A lot, considering the way they’ve shut down manufacturing plants state-side and opened up factories in countries with more conservative labor laws (read: little to none).
