Global inequality has been a huge issue since societies first became interconnected. Some societies had more power than others, some societies were further "developed" than others, and those countries have used their power and development to profit off of other countries. In the past, the Roman Empire used the surrounding tribes; a little more recently, industrialized nations (US, UK, Spain, etc.) used other smaller nations to grow cash crops and provide revenue. Today the formal bonds of colonialism have been broken, however there is still a legacy lingering and global inequality continues.
In my opinion, economic factors are a major player in the retention of these subordinate and dominant roles. First and foremost, as we discussed in class, capitalism is the perfect vessel for inequality; not only does is create losers as much as winners, but it also allows and encourages exploitation. An import characteristic of capitalism is the pursuit of profit, which has often fueled global inequality. We have seen manifestations of this in world systems theory. Often the peripheral countries who house the harvesting of raw materials and the manufacturing process are chosen for their lack of labor laws and workers' protection. This means that these countries often have low wages and the employees can be maintained with little cost to the company. In choosing these countries, the business exploits them by profiting from the legal and cost differences when compared to other core nations. There are also many other causes of global inequality besides the exploitation of countries for profit. I feel that the economic system which is characterized by this practice (capitalism), is one of the major reasons.
To convey a slightly different response to this aspect of the global market, the CATO Institute provides a video with a more factual view of outsourcing labor than we are used to in media sources. It explains the reasons for outsourcing, but their own view of outsourcing shows through as well (which tries to steer away from the inequalities created by this system).
I agree that global inequality is an issue today and even was in the past. Sometimes you have to wonder why more developed countries can't provide more assistance to those in need. Or should they fend for themselves because they are not "advanced" enough? It is a tough topic to debate. While reading your second paragraph, it made me think of those videos you always see of the shops where there are such terrible working conditions. It goes along with the video we watched in class, so you made a good point in referencing labor laws and exploitation. I like how you mentioned "pursuit of profit." It seems like that is what it is all about these days.
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