Nearly one third of the world has fallen into economic depression. Asian countries like Korea, once hailed by U.S. policy makers, face a rising tide of unemployment, as everything from steel mills to hospitals close down. The Japanese economy is shrinking as its government casts about for ways to prop up the country's banks. Now, the crisis is spreading to Latin America.
There's not any doubt that executives at corporate giant WorldCom are guilty of fraud. By claiming that $3.8 billion in expenses were “investments,” they were able to tell investors that they had an extra $3.8 billion in profits. But games with accounting were the least of their crimes. 17,000 workers are losing their jobs. For the laid off, more than a few homes and dreams will be casualties of WorldCom's callousness. WorldCom employs about 80,000 people. More job cuts will take place in coming months. Pensions are gone. Families are left without health care. Life savings are wiped out.