■"Outsourcing Finds Vietnam: Loyalty (and Cheap Labor)," by Keith Bradsher, New York Times, 30 September 2004, p. W1.

■"Offshoring Forces Tech-Job Seekers To Shift Strategy," by Ellen McCarthy, Washington Post, 30 September 2004, p. E1.

When you see articles about Vietnam pushing itself as a target for outsourcing, you're watching globalization's version of the domino theory at work in Asia. Example is a very powerful thing.

Vietnam is poor and its infrastructure sucks, but it is good at educating. In the past, it's focused on math, but now it's focusing on computer skills. Good move, because when you combine $100 a month wages with skills, you get competitive really fast. Former U.S. ambassador to Vietnam Pete Peterson believes Vietnam will be competing with India and others in outsourcing within five years. I think he's right. Trick will be replacing French with English, because the former is the colonial legacy.

But there's something in Vietnam's history since its reunification three decades ago: after fighting 20 years to break away from the capitalist global economy in the form of its colonial master France and becoming an outsider to the global economy following the war involving the U.S., Vietnam is still a very poor place. Disconnectedness was the price Ho Chi Minh and other leaders were willing to pay for independence, but it created a hugely negative legacyóone not shared by Asian Tigers who sought broadband connectivity.

It's a lesson worth remembering when you think about Chechnya and what real "independence" is likely to do for that society.

As for American tech workers, what is the answer? Some jobs won't go overseas, like those involved in security, technical troubleshooting, or anything with real fast turnaround times or the F2F work. So if you're not good at those things, you better become good as fast as possible.