Left I on the News

The title of the post doesn't sound like the usual fare at Left I on the News, does it? It isn't. I mention because the story, about the arrest of 700 people in 35 countries worldwide, comes just days after the release of this year's State Department "Trafficking in Persons" report, which, as I've written about extensively in 2004 and 2005, singles out Cuba, Venezuela, and North Korea among the handful of "Tier 3" countries, the "worst of the worst." And why is that relevant? Because, in this latest story of 700 people being arrested, all the ones we know of come from Britain (the largest bunch), the United States, Canada, and Australia (I haven't found a complete list yet, but I'm willing to bet that none of them are from Cuba, Venezuela, or North Korea). All the countries whose citizens are involved in this ring except the United States are "Tier 1" countries, the "good guys" in this area (no, the United States isn't a Tier 2 or 3 country; it's not included in the State Department ratings).