The World Is Flat - what did you expect?

I don't mean to use this as a place to complain or stand on a soap box, however, there is relevance. I'll keep it short. For the past few weeks we have been hearing about the pet food recall. Today when reading an article about the most recent recall and tainted ingredient I came across something that really bothered me. The ingredients came from China. The FDA inspectors wanted to get visas so they could check out the plants. They were refused. Then an "FDA spokesman later said the visas were not refused but that the agency had not received the necessary invitation letter to get visas." Either way, the Chinese were making it more difficult for the FDA to find out what caused the problems and how to solve the problem.
How does this relate to school? This is a chance for teachers to reach students. They (students) have loved pets at home. They can now understand how an education and active participation in our government, understanding how global issues impact us here in the US, is beneficial for them. This might be the link they needed for relevance. Gas, war, even calls to help desks mean nothing to them.
A boy and his dog (or cat) - well now you have relevance.