The Evolution of Civilization. Where are we going? A hundred different directions at once. Guy the cabdriver drove a woman to the airport who was heading for Pakistan last night.   Pakistan? Why in the world would a middle-aged American lady want to travel to Pakistan alone? She was on a mission and I'll try not to blow her cover entirely. Basically she was heading there, to be met by her advance team, to scout out factories for potential contracts to make clothing to be sold in the US. Deep breath as I listen to this unfolding story.   Pakistan? You can't get a strong enough cost of labor in China or Bangladesh? The bottom line is the bottom line and the Dollar seeks the lowest possible cost of production. Americans want $20 dollar jeans she says. That's the way it is.    Is that terrible? The company she works for checks out many mills around the planet. They have people who scope it out thoroughly and even check on the inside (undercover talks with mill employees) before finalizing a deal. They have standards that have to be met she says. She can usually tell very early on if the company is one that would be a good partner. They have said no to prospective mills before. The lift of a big contract to a local economy can bring stability and security to a lot of people in a community. People earning a living are less prone to run around blowing themselves and others up. Hmmmmm.   Iraq? Is that the next place where American companies might find themselves trying to turn a dollar while stabilizing the world.   Deep in the center of 'Globalization' there are a lot of         Guy W. Meyer, Jr.                   May 7, 2007         San Anselmo, California               guy@lifesignsphoto.com