Okay: "Gentlemen, START your soapboxes!"

First things first. Happy Birthday to our Brady Darrell or Bray-Bray as we call him. What a bundle of blessing, joy, and powerful excitement this little guy is! Happy number 3 from your MiMi and Poppy!

Here’s something to be proud of: we have made it to that mythical, magical day every one yearns for, it’s FRIDAY, January 9, 2009. Back in the 1800’s soap was delivered in sturdy wooden boxes. These boxes were recycled for many different purposes. One of those included the use of an empty soapbox as a platform for someone to stand and speak their mind on any subjects in which they wished to opine. By 1872, this soapbox speech approach had become a common practice at Hyde Park, London, where orators took on a variety of subjects including religion and politics. We also know these boxes were later used by children to build racing cars with wheels added and today this type of racing is still known as a soapbox derby. Today, when someone stands up to rant and rave in sharing their thoughts they are said to be on their “soapbox”. You have probably noticed that my blog from time to time, if not most of the time, is used as a soapbox from which I can express my views, thoughts, concerns, and opinions.

I read with interest the article yesterday in the Wall Street Journal online edition stating that Dell Computer was pretty much abandoning Ireland for cheaper labor in Poland. I well remember the wailing and gnashing here in the states many years ago whenever Dell moved much of its manufacturing for its European customers from Austin to Ireland. I also remember how Ireland essentially invested in an entire system of education and training to win Dell’s business and accommodate what became its second largest employer. This is devastating news to Ireland’s already recession slammed economy. But I am sure the folks in Poland could not be happier. I suppose what goes around does come around but my beef all along is not in a free market system, but how the world in general knows nothing about a ‘fair’ market system.

I recently re-watched a couple of documentaries on the slave labor practices in China. These BBC reporters went undercover and behind the scenes to detail how toys are really produced for the world market, and primarily for the USA. While the executives of the huge toy companies touted their official contracts and legal agreements that supposedly disallowed slave like conditions, the truth is that for the most part those who build toys often end up working as many as twenty hours a day, seven days per week, just for enough money to send back to their families who typically live in rural areas. How would you function with less than two hours of sleep each day? Shameful? Worse! I saw one young English lad interviewed who had seen these documentaries and said he would never accept another toy from his favorite fast food joint because he knew how they were being made. Out of the mouth of babes who not only see the emperor has no clothes but is willing to speak up about it! Would to God that more of us who end up financing these practices could see it as this young man did. He not only saw the truth but he took action! That’s my soapbox thought for the day and I do hope you will think about it as we all make decisions moving forward. My guess is that if this was a serious problem when things were going well, economically, it will only become worse now that all countries are basically in the ditch. May God help us is my prayer. Amen. Have a great Saturday and Lord’s Day Sunday. See you next week as the serial continues and tune in to find out if the hero actually does go over the cliff. …..More later.