For many people, incidents of metha-nol poisoning resulting from the consumption of bootleg rice wine were what really shocked them into realizing the impact that the WTO had begun to exert on people's lives. In fact, globalization and the WTO, built on a foundation of market competition and accumulation of capital, coupled with an increasingly specialized division of labor within hi-tech industries, have caught many developed nations off guard, leaving those unprepared for globalization ostracized from the global economy. The third world, despite its competitive labor costs, possesses an even greater number of people susceptible to marginalization. Unable to ride the wave of globalization, they will become a global underclass.

To be sure, hunger is an old problem, and for the half of the world's population that subsists on less than US$1 per day, globalization is no panacea, but on the contrary will exacerbate their situation. Under the rallying cry of globalization and the WTO, the inequality between modern nations will in fact become systematically entrenched.

Viewed in a single-country context, the inequity resulting from rapid economic deterioration is sure to deepen the rift between the haves and have-nots. We witnessed how homeless people at Lungshan Temple died of cold when cold fronts swept through at Western New Year's. The next day, the news was flooded with stories of celebrities and the details of their elegant New Year apparel; even as frigid corpses lay in the street, the consumerist priorities of the global economy held sway, and only the goings-on of the rich were on people's lips.

Unemployment rates for people in their prime are on the rise, the number of homeless is on the increase, and everywhere are children who can't afford to eat a nutritious lunch. Globalization, stagnation in many parts of our economy, plummeting investment and uncertainty in cross-strait politics are all among the causes of the current wave of recession. The government has presented a variety of relief measures, and combating the economic malaise has emerged as the top priority for the central and local governments and for society at large.

The gap between rich and poor and a flagging economy are cause for apprehension, but there are additional concerns that society must consider.

In times of prosperity, all people talk about are growth rates, housing prices, and the stock market index; when depression hits, conversations shift to topics like attracting business opportunities, stimulating consumer spending, and encouraging investment. For people in today's inexorably competitive global market, everything boils down to high growth rates, fat wallets, and soaring consumerism.

But are Taiwanese really poor? Compared to the bull market, bubble economy and skyrocketing real estate market of the early 1990s, then by contrast, perhaps many are poor. However, for a greater number people, the feelings of penury are really an expression of their inability to spend beyond their means, or emptiness brought on by advertisements that constantly dangle consumer products tantalizingly out of their economic reach. Accordingly, the poor and disadvantaged aside, as English author Jeremy Seabrook has observed, the meaning of "enough" is lost, with even the most affluent blind to their own affluence. An outgrowth of a globalized economy is that we have lost our sense of what is adequate.

How much does a person actually require though? Economists have defined basic material needs as being approximately equivalent to what Robinson Crusoe had. Of course, with the organization of society and the division of labor, even the procurement of the essentials in terms of food, clothing, lodging, and transportation has become an increasingly intricate process involving labor, machines, and skill, with prices driven upward as a result. Now even people's spiritual lives are contingent upon finance-truly, nothing can be done without money.

The idea that "more is better" is firmly cemented in people's hearts, and people give their all in the name of preventing the economy from sliding. But economic indexes illuminate nothing of human culture, interpersonal relations, or the troubles of youth.

In our blind determination to prosper economically we forfeit our discernment. In our attempt to cut corners, we fail to consider such deeper concerns as the reallocation and efficient use of land resources. Instead, the government generously releases public land for development for ecotourism. However, this is the last remnant of uncultivated land, and without protective measures, it will fall prey to the manipulations of a free market. Few jobs would be provided and most of the benefits would be concentrated in the hands of a small number of organizations. Ultimately, the ecological and economic potential would be drained, placing us back at the start of a bubble economy.

Because of our preoccupation with the economy, people everywhere bemoan their "impoverishment." If they look closely, they'll find that excessive development has created production surplus, and in the resulting deflation, thrift stores and designer outlets are desperate to rid themselves of their excess wares.

In economic matters, we must consider the means we adopt-namely, how far we are willing to press matters-regardless what the outcome. Do we want the stock market back at 10,000 points, sky-high real estate prices, and million dollar bathrooms in the homes of high-tech industry's nouveau riche? Do we want our retirees and housewives to fritter away their time between playing stocks in the morning and shopping in the afternoon, oblivious to family concerns?

It wasn't more than a couple of years ago that books on simple, frugal, environmentally-conscious living were all the rage-aren't these things of lasting value? Or is the discussion of such matters only one of the accoutrements of a wealthy society?

In this current recession, even as we follow the trends of global economic expansion, let us not forget the toil of those left at the bottom, and think about what kind of life we really want for ourselves.