[Elliott Jackalope]

Back in the 80's I was letting everyone around me know that the move to "offshore" our manufacturing industries was going to come back to bite us in the butt. However, I worked in hi-tech and no-one around me wanted to hear it. They said "they'll learn new skills", "you're a protectionist", "we're just shipping off jobs that nobody wants to do any more" and other homilies like that. I told them "what will you do when it's YOUR job that gets outsourced?" What did they say to that? "It won't happen".

Well, here we are, twenty years later, and it HAS happened. I saw the writing on the wall years ago, and so I'm in a much better position than the people I knew. Most of them are now losing their jobs, losing their houses, their marriages are falling apart, their kids are in trouble, some are turning into alcoholics, others are near suicide, some have probably already killed themselves. But they didn't want to hear about it when it was manufacturing jobs being lost. Now nobody else wants to hear about it now that hi-tech jobs are being lost.

Face it, America is a "Devil take the hindmost" society. And now the Devil really is taking the hindmost, along with everything else. And nobody cares. It's all about "I've got mine, Jack" and "To heck with you".

I'm really starting to feel like I'm on board an out-of-control train that is racing towards a washed out bridge over a thousand foot precipice, and everyone else on the train is drunk and partying and fat and happy. I guess the only thing to do is to go up to the club car, order a brandy and enjoy the pretty scenery whizzing by. Goodness knows that if you even THINK about reaching for the emergency brake cord the Pinkertons on board will beat you to death.

[Happy2BMe]

Here we are twenty years later. Wonder what it will be like in 2024? (BTW: This nightmare didn't start with George W. - but it sure hasn't ended with him either . .

"Back in the 80's I was letting everyone around me know that the move to "offshore" our manufacturing industries was going to come back to bite us in the butt. However, I worked in hi-tech and no-one around me wanted to hear it. They said "they'll learn new skills", "you're a protectionist", "we're just shipping off jobs that nobody wants to do any more" and other homilies like that. I told them "what will you do when it's YOUR job that gets outsourced?" What did they say to that? "It won't happen".

Jobs Americans Won't Do: Voodoo Economics from the White House.

Jobs Americans Won't Do: Voodoo Economics from the White House.

[optik_b]

That was a great post. I love the image of drinking brandy on the train heading off a cliff.

[Orangedog]

Goodness knows that if you even THINK about reaching for the emergency brake cord the Pinkertons on board will beat you to death.

The emergency brake cord has been cut. That's why the Pinkertons got off the train at the last stop.

[Consort]

Back in the '70s, Indian IT reps were giving sales pitches at US companies and military bases for software and programming services. They were also bying old US computers back then.

[EagleMamaMT]

Great, great post!

[expatguy]

I see it as basically an issue of morality.

There was a time when companies and people themselves had values and standards. This no longer exists.

It's now all about money today. Make all you can however you can and screw everyone else.

If there is nothing taboo for people, then what makes you think there is anything taboo for businesses? If it makes money then do it.

[RinaseaofDs]

Especially Congress. I really think that they haven't a clue about what is going on out here.

Dorgan stood up on Saturday and spewed some crap about free trade not being free.

I'm sure he's busy writing legislation that is going to take the government and unions off of the company's back.

[Afronaut]

"I'm really starting to feel like I'm on board an out-of-control train that is racing towards a washed out bridge over a thousand foot precipice, and everyone else on the train is drunk and partying and fat and happy. I guess the only thing to do is to go up to the club car, order a brandy and enjoy the pretty scenery whizzing by. Goodness knows that if you even THINK about reaching for the emergency brake cord the Pinkertons on board will beat you to death."

Thanks for the best lines of 2004! It's a keeper!>