Wow, that was a quick response! I shared my latest missive (below) with some friends, and one replied with the link to this editorial in The New York Times by Thomas Friedman, author of The World Is Flat (which I highly, highly recommend).
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/25/opinion/25friedman.html?ex=1212465600&en=773059e8f181d4ca&ei=5070&emc=eta1