A recent one re the proliferation of Corp-built dams + World Bank funding sans local vote, and an exploration of some of the human consequences of a particular long-running war - featured a woman with a name defying phonetic approximation {possibly containing arund and rai}.
I think you're thinking of [link|http://www.arundhatiroy.org.uk/|Arundhati Roy]. My wife read "The God of Small Things" recently and enjoyed it.
As to,The US and US business should invest more in rapid high-quality manufacturing techniques that improve efficiency, reduce time to market, and allow greater customization. It's things like this that will allow them to better compete with low-cost manufacturers since they'll always have longer supply lines and poorer communications with US customers.
Isn't this simply a restatement of, infinite Growth is the road to Prosperity?
No. I'm simply arguing that the US needs to compete in areas where it makes sense to do so. Just as it makes little sense for a Mom and Pop store to compete with Wal-Mart simply on price, I think it makes little sense for an industiralized country to compete with a developing country simply in terms of the cost of labor. The US needs to produce things in ways that take advantage of its strengths. It's not about inifinte growth, it's about having any production here at all. :-/
Cheers,
Scott.