Trouble in China

With the U.S. economy in its worst recession since 1982, Americans’ thoughts have turned inward. Understandably the focus should be on fixing the economy and coming up with a recovery plan, but the effects of the worldwide economic crisis on other countries shouldn’t be ignored.

Close attention should be paid to countries like China, where the ranks of the employed are getting restless and have staged numerous protests around the country. USA Today reported that there is an estimated 26 million unemployed Chinese and has continued to grow. Many of the unemployed are poor migrants from the countryside who came to work in the urban factories during China's tremendous boom times. Now a vast majority of these poor migrants haven't been paid their full back wages, thereby becoming even angry and resentful. If you have a large group in a society that is unemployed, poor, and angry, it's a recipe for disaster.