Posted on 01/31/2004 2:47:00 PM PST by madeinchina
Main reason, India has well educated people who speak English thanks to having been a British Colony. But companies who do the outsourcing are finding out that the Indians are less driven and less productive, so the outsourcing is not working out well. I suspect it won't be long before many of these jobs come back.
The key to keeping a job has always been with the worker. Work hard, do superior work, (don't join a union and ask for things you have not earned,) stay current with the technology of your job, and move with the times when what you make is not selling anymore.
I was laid off twice in the 80's and landed on my feet. I have been an engineer and a teacher. If I had to go back to work now I would think teaching (math and science) would be more in demand.
As far as trading, there is lots of it that is not free and fair at this time. (and lots of businesses in the US are heavily subsidized, which is also not fair). But you don't want the government or the union to "manage" your affairs even though it sounds attractive when Pat Buchanan suggests it. They always end up doing a bad job and selling us out for votes. Work to make trade fair, and recognize that the US worker knows a lot more than the mexican cheap laborer. We sent cables to Mexico to be made fast and cheap and we got stuff that would not work, (not fast or cheap, in fact very expensive.) I do not think we are going to "destroy" our economy or our manufacturing base with the free trade going on today, and I don't think the foreign worker is going to end up beating us. Hell, we can grow soybeans here and ship them to France and sell them cheaper than the French can grow them. Does that sound like trade is not working. BTW, the French won't buy our soybeans, because we would put the French farmer out of business, but the french tarrifs are putting France out of business so its only a matter of time before they will want our products.
As far as trade with these poor countries, it will take time before they can afford to buy a lot of stuff that we have, (like floors in our houses). They will want to buy it maybe in the next generation. I know that does not help today, but it will down the road.
Not only that but more states can expect to go bankrupt from a declining tax base and an increasing demand for social services.
Change third world status to revolution and you may be closer to the real situation.
You'll notice that the unemployment rate has "stabilized", what with this being an election year. That is, if you believe the cooked up numbers that get reported.
Wait until Bush is safely re-elected. You'll see a stampede of work offshore to rival the rats deserting the Titanic.
After that, goodbye Second Amendment. Can't have desperate, hopeless American street scum with access to millions of guns, now. And all courtesy of George W. Bush and his vision of the global village.
No I don't want that either, the less regulations the better. But at the same time no foreign company has a right to sell their products in the US, it's a privilege that we extend to them.
When they use labor for example that is paid far below the American wage rate for the same finished product they end up undercutting our workers. And foreign companies that are subsidized by their government are in a position to undersell an American product. In each of these cases I believe it is our government's right and duty to protect businesses and their employees in this country from the unfair competition.
Up until the nineties that essentially was the policy, so while companies were always free to move to India or wherever, there was no guarantee their products or services might not be penalized if it threatened American jobs. That’s what I would like to return to.
As far as trade with these poor countries, it will take time before they can afford to buy a lot of stuff that we have, (like floors in our houses). They will want to buy it maybe in the next generation. I know that does not help today, but it will down the road.
That seems to be the theory driving free trade policies, which is that the increased jobs in the third world will raise their boats to our level so they can eventually buy American made products. But what is happening is corporations are proving to be interested in cheap labor and nothing else. The same companies who moved to Mexico after NAFTA are now packing up and leaving for even cheaper waters in China. The result is unemployment is rising in Mexico again while their wages have not gone up, they’re still averaging only about $2 an hour.
Corporations are using these trade deals to affect their bottom line and nothing else, which you really can’t blame them for doing. The fault lies with our government since it was obvious that was going to happen, it’s exactly what Perot and Buchanan predicted in 1992. The good news is politicians are catching on and we are slowly returning to limited protectionism. There are bills that will penalize those who outsource in some states, and you’ll probably be finding them in Congress as well. If we don’t take these steps we’re not going to have many jobs left, at least not good paying ones.
Say goodbye to the middle class American, they are a dying breed, killed off by greed and the demorat and Republican party, two sides of the same coin, IMHO.
My corporation tis of thee
Sweet boardroom of liberty
Of thee I sing.
How sad that our nation so desperately needs a third party/real choice and there isn't even a voice in the wilderness.
Nope, I listen to him every day, 3 hours a day. It's refreshing to hear someone on the radio that hasn't drank the liberal socialist lazy union memeber kool aid about the world ending because the Indians or the Chicoms are competing in our economy.
Can you give me an example of how unrestricted or 'free' trade of legal goods is dangerous?
You're the expert.
Thank you for your clear stated position. I am still not convinced that this is a sound policy for the government. (Note the steel tariff that had to be reconsidered, of course that may be making your point since it was the threat of trade sanctions that forced us to relent. )
I believe what is needed to return profitability to our smaller inefficient producers, (those who may be targets of foreign goods) is a return to lower oil prices. I believe cheaper energy in the US is vital to our competitive position. We use machines while poorer countries use human labor.
I do agree with you that countries that practice predatory trade practices, Japan comes to mind, should be delt with in kind. And as I already said, I have only US autos, etc although I am typing on a Toshiba laptop because when I bought US manufacturers did not have what I wanted. In general the practice of trade protectionist practices should be for specific objectives and time limited because otherwise our industries will loose their competitiveness and after that happens, protectionism will drag us down to the European model of high taxes and government provided socialism.
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