An Open letter to President Bush (End run vs. Outsourcing)

Me | Me

[Havoc]

Dear Mr. President,

You don't know me, nor do I expect you to. But I'm one of those voices out here in the ether that actually did vote for you. I'm not one of those seminar caller types nor a Democrat pretending at being a republican to subvert the party faithful in dishonest fashion because their ideas aren't popular enough to win them anything. No, I'm a life-long republican who cherishes the memory of Ronald Reagan and who thought highly of you right up to the time you sunk a knife in my back economically.

Sir I understand it's a hard job being president. I also understand that in IT my job causes me to have to think on my feet and respond to an everchanging environment just to keep it. And while I was busting my behind for a company I happened to love doing a job I happened to love, you decided it's a good thing to do an endrun around equal protection and hand my job to a Mexican worker at 1/3 of the rate I'm being paid. Sir, Retail employees get paid more than that Full time and they're earning below the poverty level. The Job I hold for the moment requires a lot of hard work and problem solving skills, it requires good customer care skills, and it requires a long knowledge of Computers and software I didn't get from a degree but from practical experience.

I worked long and hard for years looking for the break that would get me in the door with my current employer. And I currently have a carreer with them. Or had, rather. I've worked for EDS for nearly 4 years. I will lose my job just short of that anniversary or just after it depending on how the breakdown happens.

I have a handicap that keeps me from driving a car. Not an official handicap, because it's so rare a problem that 1/2 of 1% of Americans have the condition so it doesn't rate being called what it is. I'm a blip on the screen. But, it means I have to live close to my employer and sometimes rely on others to help me get things done. I've lost everything and put my life back together 3 times in 15 years sir. And having just accomplished it again after 4 years with my employer, your policy has killed any protection I might have otherwise enjoyed from having my job destroyed by foriegn competition. And it puts me right back on the brink again. Sir, if I don't stand a chance of winning, it isn't competition - it's fish in a barrel. Where is my equal protection under the law?

The "competition" didn't get hired because of race or creed; but, because of national origin. They got hired because their cost of living is low enough that they can be paid sub-poverty wages to do my job. They are taking my job because they aren't constrained by the laws we have in this country to protect us and preserve our liberties. Lower cost of living, and no laws to constrain them. See, we used to have what was called ANTI-DUMPING laws on the books before Nafta to prevent the subversion of our economy by those who would attempt to compete on an unfair basis and put American firms out of business. We aren't a global economy, the globe is not the United States of America. They don't respect our rights, our Constitution, our laws or ourselves. The average citizen of the world might; but, we aren't dealing with them, we're dealing with the leaders who have their boots on the neck of the citizen of the world.

It seems today that I have to be a Mexican to get a fair shake in America. There are some 8 million of them here illegally as a tax on our system and working here taking jobs that Americans can do; but, which apparently, nobody wants to offer a fair wage for as long as they can get slave labor off the books. That isn't enough though. We need to employ More workers from Mexico, India, China.. As long as we're doing it, sire, why not be obvious and lets put Sally Struthers on the TV to advertise IT Jobs for the people under repressive regimes in africa who can live on 52 cents a day, "the price of a cup of coffee." I don't care what color their skin is, No citizen of the United states could live on that and shouldn't be asked to compete with it. It's too blatently obvious that it's unfair. And that seems to be why it's "good for us all".

Your policy sir. It's you on the tube telling me it's good for me to lose my job to a Mexican worker outside of our system and in a manner with which I cannot compete. There isn't a job comparable to it here that I can take to make up the difference cause those are being outsourced too. Outsourced. How about endran. Because sir, that is what is happening - it's an end run around our system - around our rights, our laws, our constitutional provisions and protections. Your policy has relieved me of my job without due process. It tied my hands before I had a chance to respond. And so many businesses are being forced to do the same thing, that I don't stand a chance any more than those earning 3 times what I do in the same field who have lost their jobs already and have had to take 11k a year Retail jobs just to eat while their houses go up for sale.

I don't have a degree. I don't get retraining. I just get to lose my job at the whim of your policies and will likely lose more than that in the end. You see, I bought a new home too - a year ago. This job made it possible for me to do that. And as with my Job, I had to get a huge break to be able to pull it off. I've been behind you and a cheerleader of yours since I first heard you speak. I understand that the tanking economy isn't your fault. I understand it isn't your fault we were attacked. I understand and agree with pretty much everything you've done to date, sir. This however is in my mind beyond sickening. It is a betrayal of myself, my coworkers and every other hard working IT worker, Auto worker, etc that has lost their job due to this. It is a betrayal by their government and their employer. And it's a distrust you've earned by subverting them and me. For me, it's not just my Government, it's my own party.

Now I've heard all the arguments for outsourcing and all the copout phrases about what we do about companies that have outsourced to the US. Tell me, sir, how many of them outsourced to do an endrun around their system of government, their constitution, their laws and their workers. How many of them outsourced to us to produce goods for their home market. That isn't an argument that flies with me in the face of doing an endrun around us. They've built plants in our land and are working within our market, within it's rules, within our laws, within the constraints of our constitution and are paying a competative wage. Our companies are doing the opposite. And any way you cut it, it is economic and constitutional tyranny. I'm not a single issue voter sir, until that single issue is my life and livelihood.. until members of my own party call me a robber and a thief for expecting to keep my job when I've worked my behind off to do so.

I did it right. I've busted my backside under an ever increasing workload, kept my promise to my employer and my client. Never missed a metric, never dropped the ball for either of them and have always exceeded expectation as a member of one of the best teams on this planet in my humble opinion. My job is gone not because we didn't produce and not because either couldn't afford it; but, because Mexicans work cheaper and don't have our protections, laws, rights or constitution. I have a strong work ethic and a loyalty to my company that even now makes me shudder to say a bad word about them. I have no illusions; but, I was raised that if you do your best it pays off. I know now that if you do your best, you get kicked in the teeth just as hard, and if you get ahead a little bit, the government will be there to kick you back down. I appreciate how hard your job is. Mine is pretty dang hard too. But how about you and everyone in government work for $600 a month from now on like the Mexican workers replacing us. How about you all work for the income you're forcing me into. If it's good for us, it should be good for you too. You, and all the ivory tower types in our party that hiss at me for being upset over losing my job and wanting to defend myself. How would that be, sir? I'd just as soon see little Tommy Daschle and Ted Kennedy go fly a kite as hear them spout one more offensive evil lie about you. But I'd just as soon, too, see you join them holding the string if you're gonna ruin me and tell me it's good for me. How about if we just outsource your jobs too - oh, wait, that would be unconstitutional too, wouldn't it.

[discostu]

What I'm saying is quite clear:
Corporations have no duty outside of profit
They aren't here to protect the country, that's the governments job
They aren't here to make you feel good about yourself, that's your job
They aren't here to make sure you have a job, that's your job
They aren't here to make sure people here are happy, that's the people's job

They exist to make profit. That is the nature of the beast. Lions exist to eat other animals. Grass exists to be eaten by animals. Corporations exist to make profit. When Hewlitt and Packard decided to incorporate and start selling the things they made in their garage they did so to make money. When Harley and Davidson decided to incorporate to start selling the things they made in their garage they did so to make money. When the guy that invented the little pastic clip that holds the strings of your venician blinds together decided to mass produce those clips and sell them to blind companies he did so to make money. That's why corporations exist.

Reasonable restrictions can be placed on them, but they must be REASONABLE and well thought out. And when the restriction you want to put on a company is a silly one like "don't import labor" you aren't being reasonable. You're attempting to restrict their ability to make a profit so that people you think are more deserving of the company's labor dollar get it, who deserves Company X's labor dollar isn't your or my call to make, that is Company X's decision exclusively. They earned the money, they decide who earned a piece of the pie.

[discostu]

Monopolies are not inherrently illegal. When a company is found to be a monopoly there are certain activities (like leveraged horizontal market expansion) they are no longer allowed to participate in. But the monopoly itself is perfectly legal as long as the opperate within the new rules.

It's not traitorism. That's part of the problem with you guys. You think that just because we disagree we're traitors. We happen to think that what you want to do would be horrible for America, that indeed it's YOUR position that, if you're actual intent was to damage America, would be treasonous. But we don't call you traitors because that's silly insipid namecalling that shows a lack of intelligence and self confidence. Until you grow up enough to see that we want what's best for America and just happen to disagree about what is actualy best you will never be able to hold an intelligent debate on this, and that lack of ability to hold intelligent debate reflects on the innate intelligence (or lack of same) of your position. "Free traitors" is just a sad attempt to create flame wars when logic and reason have failed you.

[discostu]

Shows how little you know. The mob's profitability has been dropping drastically in the last few decades. Life sentences for drug trafficing have all but destroyed the code of silence, Indian casinos are killing the illegal gambling, a sub-culture of easy women has destroyed the market for prositutes, and the junk-bond kings have taken Las Vegas away from them. If it wasn't for the unions the mob would be broke.

[discostu]

My boss is quite happy with my productivity level thank you very much. I find the bugs and I beat the schedule, multi-tasking is the key to my life.

[N3WBI3]

Using a tariff to level the playing field (not talking protectionism) so that if indeed an Indian worker can do the job better they will get it is fine. Letting a nation destroy the environment (Im not a green person but there should be *some* protection), have kids work 12 hours a day, and pay people a poverty wage is not ok, and should not be rewarded with free trade..

[Havoc]

And Hitler surely won't turn around and attack Russia knowing the butt kicking Napoleon took... History can lend insight - but in this case, there is no historical context with which one can compare because it's never been done before. And for good reason.

Comparative Advantage doesn't exist currently. And thats a foundation stone for free trade - required as it were. So there is good reason to prognosticate doom when there is no history to compare to, you're fooling with a theory whose baseline requirements for implementation haven't been met and the only result gleaned has been the ruin of people and an attack on middle class incomes that is growing to an all out assault. And we aren't talking about Japan here are we. We're talking about companies expecting the US to hand it's jobs to every 50 cent a day worker on the planet - numbering in the multiples over the sum total of US citizens so they can make themselves rich, tell us how rosey things are and in the meantime laugh apparently at the destruction they've wrought because they can't control things here and seem to think it's their birthright. If Congress don't reign you unethical twits in, the American people will reign it all in.

[discostu]

History does lend insight. Here's the insight it lends:
1 - there's always somebody complaining that some other country is about to destroy/ take over/ subjugate/ overrun America
2 - they've never been right
3 - looking at the actual manufacturing and other economic data for the last year clearly indicates that the American economy is quite healthy and in no danger of being exported out of the country
4 - the paranoid doom and gloomers always ignore item 3
5 - the paranoid doom and gloomers always say "this isn't like that other time"
6 - this always winds up being like that other time

There's your free insight for the day.

[Havoc]

Where is your imperical falsifiable data showing that free trade works? Where is the historic record. I didn't ask you for rhetoric. We get plenty of rhetoric and claims from you guys - for crying out loud you sound like a cult. Lie, decieve, twist and shovel smoke...

[discostu]

The economy is up, the GDP is up, jobs are growing, manufacturing indexes are up, retail is up. The historic record is RIGHT NOW, everything is up. The cultish one here is you, insisting the sky is falling when there's not a single fact that proves it. Even XBob's latest graphs shows things going UP, good things.

[Havoc]

The economy is up, the GDP is up, jobs are growing, manufacturing indexes are up, retail is up. The historic record is RIGHT NOW, everything is up.

We keep hearing that; but, we have yet to see it. That's called a disconnect.. when your rhetoric and reality don't match up. That's when we start making judgements for ourselves about why we're being lied to. If you tell me niagra falls has stopped falling, I'd expect to be able to see that for myself. If it's still fallin while you say it isn't, I'm not going to proclaim it isn't to belie the facts. I'm going to say it is and that you're a liar and a con man.

[Havoc]

I'm still waiting, btw, for your impiracle data and historical records showing us factually that free trade works.

[discostu]

I see it. You don't see it because you chose not too. I've lived through recessions, I've lived through boom times, one walk through the mall can tell me which we're in. I walk through the mall now and I see lots of merchandise, the merchandise is clean which indicates it hasn't been on the shelf for a long time, there aren't a lot of sale signs out which would indicate the store is desperate for some cash, there aren't a lot of empty store fronts, and people are walking around with full bags indicating they're spending money. The reality IS my rhetoric, every financial indicator that matters is UP and the behavior of the American people is the behavior of people in a boom economy.

If YOU chose to read nothing but bad news that's YOUR problem. There will always be bad news, there's no economy that's completely bad news proof, no economy so booming that no business do poorly. But the bad news by itself never tells the whole story. Open your eyes and look at what is REALLY happening, you'll find that all of your paranoid fantasies are wholy unfounded. You are simply wrong, as your ilk always is, and with a little help from God always will be.

But I don't expect you to EVER be man enough to admit you're wrong, your ilk never is.

[discostu]

Still waiting for what? just look at what XBob posted in 558, what direction is the trend going? Just look at the latest job data (new jobless claims lowest in 3 years). Just look at unemployment (under 6% which used to be considered full employment). Just check the latest retail figures ( http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,116943,00.html ).

Everything good is going up, most everything bad is going down. All in a period when our international trade is freer than it's ever been. Free trade IS WORKING RIGHT NOW. This IS the historical data. Come, join me in reality, it's a nice place, much sweeter smelling than that dank depressing hole you currently call a world view.

[discostu]

Oh and BTW, it's EMPIRICAL http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=empirical

[Havoc]

Uhuh, here comes the merry-go-round spin again. Keep arguing in circles and hope someone buys it and forgets all that nasty bad stuff that they're just imagining.. Pathetic, Useless and utterly vacant.

[discostu]

There's no spin here Havoc, just data:
New unemployment claims - DOWN
Unemployment as a percentage - DOWN
Total jobs in the economy - UP
GDP - UP
Manufacturing indexes - UP
Retail sales - UP
Inflation - DOWN

All the data is good. You can chose to declare it all a lie if you want. But don't say that just because you've cut off your nose it's my fault your glasses keep falling off.

[Toddsterpatriot]

I'm still waiting, btw, for your impiracle data and historical records showing us factually that free trade works.

Why don't you show us where restricting trade works to make a country more prosperous than America.

Would you like to trade places with North Korea, Cuba, Europe. Which country following your ideas does better than America? Take your time.

[stig]

A bad economy and runaway inflation created Hitler. (I have a postage stamp for 3 billion marks), and caused him to purge millions of Jews, and caused WWII.

No illegal mafia style strong arm tactics and propaganda created Hitler. And Hitler and his ilk are soley responsible for the havoc they wrought.

The lack of oil and steel (bad economy) caused the Japenese to expand and and start WWII in Asia, killing millions.

No the Japanese of the time were soley responsible. They had imperialistic ambitions plain and simple. Had they not attacked Pearl Harbor (thereby drawing us into war) they would have taken control of a good portion of the Pacific rim.

A bad economy caused Stalin to purge millions of Kulaks.

There's a job for you in the press as a Stalin apologist if you really believe the above statement.

A bad economy caused the starvation of hundreds of thousands perhaps millions in Asia/india - before the Green revolution.

India's problems stem more from their caste system than the green revolution.

Mao Tse Tung killed millions in China because of the bad economy.

Another murderous lying thug you seem to want to make excuses for. I suppose it was a bad economy that made him occupy Tibet.

Bad economies in Africa are currently killing millions.

Tribal hatred has more to do with this as well as Muslims trying to kill off Christians.

Have you ever been to a country where the people are so poor they steal your letter before the stamp is cancelled to steal your stamp, because they are so poor? I have. Bad economies kill millions, and when we in the US have to get involved, we lose thousands and hundreds of thousands.

No one likes a bad economy, it certainly causes suffering. But your implication seems to be that government control of the economy is the answer. Somehow the government has to save a person's job but forget about the security of the country from Islamic extremists. Not that I agree with your premise but the Islamic extremists we seem to be dealing with all come from nations that are rich in Natural Resources.

[Havoc]

Why don't you buy an argument that has weight and in the mean time help your co-ethically challenged pal there dig up the data requested that from past History shows this theory works and, one better, without the baseline present which the theory sets up as a requirement. Cause the baseline requirement to make it work isn't present. The whole thing is a sham, from the baseline being absent to abuse of H1 and L1 visas to Congress being outright lied to about companies not being able to staff IT positions in the US so they have to outsource to find workers. The last one I still can't believe but it was done. And whenever some group has to consistently lie to get by with something, it isn't good or they wouldn't have to lie at every opportunity, decieve at every opportunity and mistate the facts and the record, much less use an unproven theory (for which the baseline requirements don't exist) as a scapegoat.
It's a house of cards.

[discostu]

We've got an argument that has weight the economy. For the majority of the time since NAFTA was passed the US economy has been chugging along at meterioric rates, unemployment has dropped lower than ever, the GDP is up, the DOW finally broke away from the 1000 mark it hovered at for decades.

We have a baseline: the entire history of the American economy before NAFTA. Things are better now. While Free Trade might not have made things better it sure didn't make things worse. Show me ONE vital economic statistic that's down since NAFTA went into place. Is our manufacturing sector producing less than before NAFTA? Do we have fewer people employed? Is the stock market lower? Is our GDP lower? Is manufacturing a lower percentage of our GDP? Are the manufacturing indexes lower?

The answer is no across the board. The only "bad" thing is that we have more trade imbalance, and yet inspite of all the panic this causes no one is able to point to concrete example of something bad that has ACTUALLY happened BECAUSE of this imbalance. They all make dire predictions, none of which have come true, then when confronted they call the opposition traitors and claim that all the statistics are lies.

Sorry but the statistics aren't lies. The economy is chugging along well and the protectionist are wrong. That's the TRUTH, no spin. And if you don't have an answer that isn't filled with LIES, insults and accusations then just don't reply because I've already read all your LIES, insults and accusations 100 times and they aren't interesting anymore.