Now, now. Let's not forget the liberal tenet of moral relativism!

(not to be confused with cultural relativism; look them up)

Children working like this may be just fine to their culture! And we aren't supposed to judge other cultures compared to our own values and laws!

Remember: one culture is just as valid as another!

Or perhaps we can win their hearts and minds with military force and dropping free ipods and laptops...?

Okay. All sarcasm aside, what's the point of publishing articles like this?

What caused this situation? Do you think people always lived like this in that area? The fault of stuff like this greatly is greatly in the hands of your countrys goverment and globalization. You know nothing about the world and the misery your leader have caused around the world.

Time for Newt to grab a hold of this and run with it . . . oh wait . . .

Someone should tell them to look in clay pots for rupees. Also, in bushes and the tall grass. I hear there are many rupees hidden in these places.

This is the true face of globalization and so called free trade: every worker labors hard fighting for scraps, while the international capital gets rich and fat feeding on their poverty and misery.
Be a real hero: BUY AMERICAN!

Another government we have propped up for our own military and political ambitions. They are double dealing, supporting terrorists, and killing NATO troops and we still buy influence we aren't even getting. Time to pull the plug. Let Islam take care of its own. These people will hate us no matter what we do, because if it doesn't make a buck, we don't do it.

Michelle Bachman once said we should eliminate minimun wage - Exhibit A

Vote Democrat in November!!

Chris: You Zelda head.

This crap is never going to stop when there is money to be made off these poor kids. Only thing the international community can do is move businesses away from the sweat shop, etc. (yes, I laugh out loud at my own statement).

Sad story, but it's also going on in the Caribbean, Central and South America, so this is closer to home than we think. As far as asking why even write this article. It's news, so you can read it or leave it.

Is this actually surprising to anyone? Everyone knows that muslim countries are not exactly known for their progressive thinking and many things socially haven't changed in thousands of years. Social growth stunted at the hands of religion.

Before everyone in the U.S. starts patting themselves on the back for being such a wonderful country. We ourselves didn't pass a federal law on child labor until 1938 a mere 26 years before we passed a federal civil rights law here in the U.S. so when you people jump on your high horse just remember to pick your feet up so you look like your higher off the ground then you actually are.

veritas vos liberabit

I'd love to get outraged and post a sadness-filled message about how much this disgusts me... but I don't care. Honestly, this has no impact on me and I'm probably going to forget about it when I go home to continue cleaning up from my superbowl party. Yeah, it sucks that kids in third-world countries thousands and thousands of miles away have crappy lives, but c'mon people, stop trying to make yourselves feel better by posting an "Oh, woe is me!" post on msnbc, because guess what? It doesn't do anything for these children, it just makes you feel a teeny bit better about yourself before you forget all about these kids in 20 minutes. Because you will. So will I. There's no shame in it.

Shame on you. I strongly urge you to go to work for a nonprofit agency in your city and help the less fortunate. It will make you feel alot better about yourself and your community.

Remember "Ask not what your country can do for you but ask what you can do for your country" JFKennedy."

DoubleJ1 -- Let's add to that that certain politicians actually want to go back in time by putting children to work (Yeah, Newt) and abolishing minimum wage. The truth will only set us free if we act on it and refuse to vote for those who want to regress instead of progress. Very sad for these Pakistani children. Another reason why birth control should be provided free and advocated among the less fortunate.

I find it ironic that it's the republicans leading the charge currently to undermine labor unions, undermine child labor laws, and undermine spending on education and social safety nets.

conservatives - if you like what you see in pakistan, keep voting republican.

any day now, we'll be just like them.

Steve, are you aware that when the minimum wage is increased, the employment rate for young black men drops. Are you racist?

at Steve - I don't think minimum wage is the answer. Most basic economics books point out that they cause inflation and hurt the people they are supposed to help the most - less jobs and more competition and more expenses for products.

Well, Chris, I disagree. Some of us do try to do something about it. Small things matter. If you can't donate to a charity that helps, then do something as small as not buying anything that would support these governments.

I concentrate most of my efforts here in the US where there are plenty of poor and homeless, but before I buy anything, I do check to see if it was made in the US or some country whose policies I don't support. Needless to say, I put a lot of things back on the shelf. In addition, I stopped buying diamonds or gold years ago -- even my engagement ring. It's small, but if enough people did it, it would certainly make an impact. I detest these governments who exploit their own children in such a way and petition my representatives in congress to cut off funding. Will they listen? Naww, probably not, but nothing beats a failure but a try.

btw, this is a personal choice. I work with women who wear diamonds as big as baseballs, most who wouldn't care even if they were aware. Doesn't make them bad people, or me a good one. That's just how it is --- for now. There is only one thing we know for sure --- sooner or later, all empires fail.

Wow Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom came out back in 1984 of (fictional life) in India in 1935 (doesn't seem so fictional now). And yet it's still a true portrayal of that culture today, I seriously doubt it will change in yet another 23 years.

these 'jobs' are where the american 'job creaters' took your american manufacturing jobs to. why pay americans a living wage when you can exploit children and make a profit? next time you are in walmart and you purchase a garment made in pakistan ...you do indeed contribute to this global situation. it must be nice for you to feel so smug. it must be convient for you to be so callous. but do not presume that because you are so ' enlightened' that i or anyone else would share your ability to disconnect from the human race. and do not presume that this same situation is not happening in this country. so you know what, go back to your endless useless life. we in the world do not need nor care for your types. clean up your messy house. parties can be such a drag.

Did no one else notice that kid in the picture is making ridiculously good clay pots? I mean come on... at 7 years old, most of us were still coiling up stupid little clay snakes to make pots and this kid is crafting things you could see any American odds n' ends store. Our kids could learn a thing or two from him.

I sense executives at Walmart, Target, Kohl's, Macy's, Nordstroms, Banana Republic, Bebe, Forever 21 and Gap are nervous about this.

This is what will happen if the GOP corporate puppets get into power. Why do you think they want to eliminate uniions. Unions is the only voice American workers have to prevent child labor and total destruction of the working class. Always remember " United we stand, divided we fall. If you think I'm wrong then listen to what Newt has said about putting children to work. Mitt has said that the American worker is paid to much. So get ready America because if the GOP corportate puppets get their way we will be another 3rd world country.

Pakistan, a pure Islamic nation, is an example of how humans make a place hell or livable.

If one takes too much of religious heroins and other drugs, especially Islamic variety, and dumps human characterists, then one has to blame oneself and not others for ones fate!

Hope people will study the history of Pakistan before and since 47.

Putting grade school aged kids to work.. The public education system sucks, so they don't waste much money on it (probably why it sucks, but lets not go there, right?).. Kids are learning "apprenticeships" (ooooo, look at that lovely piece of pottery that kid was making, wish I could do that!)... Wow.

Sounds like a Newt Gingrich campaign ad!

We're so borderline its not even worth arguing. The ONLY thing from keeping some kids from working to help is the age restrictions in place by Labor and Industries. In America kids go to school to help their parents make ends meet as they get older, in Pakistan the kids start helping as soon as they can. Its a way of life there.

I agree it is a sad thing for these children but understand you are comparing one society with another. I would bet 5 dollars most of these kids don't even know any different. There are countries far worse off than Pakistan that could use your attention, efforts and sympathy.

We recently put our 5 1/2 year old in Head start wanting to give him the best chance we could. We make under the 36,000. 00 a year limit so its a low-income program. My wife is home with our second baby at the moment so our income is halved for the time being. Anyway, we signed up to be a part of the student governing body, went to a monthly meeting and learned some statistics. The one that bothers me the most is this - there are almost 300 children attending head-start in our area. Of that 300 there was something like 18% of them who are homeless.

Roughly 55 children in HEAD START are HOMELESS. That is only in my small geographical region and measures only the head-start program. Some children, in this case 18% of them, DO NOT have the safety of a home and bare essentials to even study and pursue schooling.

I so agree with you! We have homeless and hungry children HERE!!! There are newspaper articles everyday that talk about how many homeless children there are in schools, and how the school lunch is the only meal they may get a day. We need to fix OUR PROBLEMS first. I am not apathetic to the plight of these children, and I do not agree with child labor. But as a nation, let's start taking care of our own people first then seeing how we can help other nations feed their children.

We are importing people by the hundred's of thousand's, and how long will it be before we are slaving for Greedy business'es because of too many people and too few job's?? It's coming, and the wealthy are rubbing their hand's together.

For f**k's sake, Tarzan, learn how to use apostrophes correctly.

Please think before you write. The use of profanity on a public message is inappropriate on every level.

Only to oversensitive people who let certain arbitrary words offend them.

Awwww is the pen mightier than the f43@king sword?

Only if it's a laser pen.

@ Chris; You must be oversensitive to the misuse of apostrophes, because Tarzan's post obviously offended YOU!

Anyhow, back to the story. Hot in Miami...did you notice in the article that Pakistan only spends 2% on education? The way things are are exactly the way their government wants them. Considering what the US spends on education (good or bad, however you look at it) WE don't take education for granted.

Spookypaws, I totally agree. As the story kept piling on the 'bleeding heart' anecdotes, I couldn't help comparing some of them to our own country. Especially the teary comment; "I want to go to school to become a doctor, but we can't afford it." Gee, how about that? There are millions of kids in this country who would love to be able to go to college to become a doctor, lawyer, MBA, etc., but can't afford it. So they end up busing tables in a restaurant. I find it hard to sympathize when we have so many families in our own country who can't afford to feed their own children.

Wait a minute!

The conditions and fate of girls and women are worse than the boys/men.

Girls and women become part of kidnapping, raping, immoral trafficking, raping machines and made to work as slaves!

With internal hating and killings, girls and women suffer most!

If Muslims form more than five percent in a place, Muslims start working on the above models!

But can we keep our money out of that country, too? 'Cause I'm pretty sure we're giving them a ton of it every year. Oh, and we should be offering birth control. It's clear they need it. I'm sure some women in Pakistan don't even know that birth control exists (unless their husband told them).

People look at this like its new, or like its completely wrong, but farmers use there kids to help farm the land, and if they will starve if they dont work do you really think banning the kids from working will be a good thing? but yes we need to cut off funds to them, i saw a documentary on corruption in Pakistan and its effects on education, basically no matter how much money we give the people that need it wont get it, might as well leave em to there own ends, they will eventually grow up.

Interesting morality you got there BMAC. Pakistan has money for a space program, nukes, to subsidize Taliban and Al Qaeda,to fight over Kashmir for over 60 years, etc etc etc. But no money to better the lives of it's people. No wonder they turn to the radicals. The rich elite steal all they can and for everyone else it is everyman for himself.

Guys

Pakistan is one of the most corrupt nations on earth. Look at the manner in which the politicos are dressed in the pictures. Most of the aid money that we send to them winds up in off-shore accounts. The current attacks on the Pakistani president is all about getting access to the money, no more no less.

Child labor exists in China, India, Cambodia, etc - in a lot of the 3rd world nations, including S.America.

Yeah, instead of firing missiles from unmanned drones we should be parachuting childrens books and birth control instead.

Let me ask you: how many people bother about Mali?

We are bothering about Pakis, as they breed and export Islamic radicalism and terrorism all over the world.

Pakis come with different cloaks and garbs.

Then they start their Paki business all over in the US, Britain and other places.

They want to start making Paki streets, Paki regions, states and nations!

For everything they blame us and want our help!

Who asked them to go IMF or beg for helps from us?

When our business becomes their business, their business becomes part of our business.

In case of evils, we should root them out in the source and not in our backyards.

At least they're not being thrown...?

subliminal

The point is to be happy you weren't born in some village in Pakistan

Don't disagree, but there's money involved. It seems a lot of people don't know how much money we give to other countries. Another reason I pay taxes, I guess, and I do pay.

Actually, it's my understanding that the amount of foreign aid is a very small percentage of the total U.S. budget. That does not mean I agree with it. Let's clean up the mess in the U.S. first by making the wealthy pay a fair share in taxes, stimulating job growth (plenty of work to be done on our infrastructure) and making a good education accessible to all. The Pakistanis may take our money (and I'm sure very little goes where needed), they do not want our inference, nor do we have any business interfering in their affairs.

As Saudis and Pakis are into our business, we have few options but to be bothered about their business.

In 9/11, Saudis, Pakis and UAE were partners!

Also in most of the Islamic terrorist actions all over the world, these three are main players.

I am very afraid...

A little bit of drama here folks? That's why we have a two term limit for President, so somebody like Newt can't get in and ruin the country. Or anybody else as far as that goes. There are many many people in this country who have worked themselves up from nothing and poverty to become pillars in the society. Try Zuckerman for instance, a college kid now worth 100 BILLION dollars. I personally know a kid who didn't have @!$%#, not even shoes to wear in the summertime. He graduated High School went in the service and then worked two jobs and went to school full time at night and raised a family too. He's doing fine. You can DO or you can TALK.

Depends if you keep it in the shrub family you can bypass that two term limit and possibly ruin the country...oh wait that already happened. I believe they should amend that to two term including immediate family limit, Clinton didn't really count, he was just filler.

Veteran, It is hard to invent "Facebook" when you can't even read or write. Those kids don't have any chance. They don't even get elementary education let alone high school education like the kid you "know". The abused will become the abusers on and on.

Devil's Son - You are correct, there ARE places in the world where a kid doesn't have a chance from birth. In fact there are many places where child labor and child trafficing rob the world of its youth. I don't know what the answer is, what do you think? Peace.

Hardly. It's called "third world." Are you being sarcastic?

I think Gil was saying why didn't we hear about these kids plight 2 or 3 years ago? Why is it coming out now? No sarcasm there.

I think what's being pointed out here is that what used to be a common practice in more isolated, less-developed parts of the country is now becoming much more common in the more developed cities. You do realize Karachi is the tenth largest city in the world and considered one of the financial and educational hubs of Asia, right?

Again its all our fault, cant those countries take any responsibility for their own situation? But no that would be crazy, I notice that those cultures never blame themselves, its always the evil Satan or Gods will, heaven forbid that their situation might be their own fault.

square dude, I don't think he's blaming the US. But, we do support these corrupt governments with our money, and as long as we do that, we'll have blood on our hands.

You imply that women in most Middle Eastern regions have a choice in their sexual choices.

Plus it's still not going to solve the problem of child labor.

Thats not how the Republicans feel. They feel, we control your body until you have your baby and then your on your own.

Women Girls in the Middle East rarely have a say in who they will marry, let alone anything else. Only the man's mother and father can tell him what to do.

Bella-numbers, you really don't know what you are talking about.

Theirs is a very different culture from ours.

Get educated before you come on here running your mouth.

Elk Meadow - interesting how we have the exact opposite model here in the US. Once he's out of the house, a man does his best to avoid talking to his parents, but from the minute he gets married, his wife owns his balls.

minus the trickle down

no need to bring religion into this, after all you can say just a horrible things about Christians or {insert religion} in a different country

Steven100

get with Congress and demand to stop all trade

If we do this to all the countries that have child labor or unfair labor practices, all our stores (including our grocery stores because kids pick produce in US farms) would be empty.

Gingrich campaign promises too!

And it not for the lack of not trying , Missouri has a female republican law maker from an affluent west county area that is trying to repeal most laws designed to protect children , she has no problem with them working till midnight on school nights , being totally exempt from any type of wage control or basic OSHA rules , anything to save the company money , and the fact that it might put a family wage earner out of work is a" to sad o well " moment

No Governor can pre-emt OSHA regulations, she can go to jail for that.

First off, the earth is not over populated. There may be a lack of distribution of food and wealth worldwide, but this in no way means the world is over populated.

Secondly, do you realize that immigration actually creates jobs? Many immigrants come over here and try to start businesses.

Third, millions of Americans make great salaries working in other countries? So if Americans are allowed to work in other countries, shouldn't America extend the same courtesy to other countries?