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The difference between these two numbers (and it is a huge difference, if you are honest about it) is what I call a "credibility gap" on this issue. In the midst of all the complaints about "corporate greed" in this country, we seem to have overlooked the fact that "consumer greed" is the single biggest factor in driving these jobs overseas.

I don't believe I've seen a truer nugget of wisdom on one of these "outsourced" threads, than what you've just written above.

Thank you kindly for your comment. It was a bit of inspired wisdom that I posted on another thread last week, and I got similar responses back then.

I'll add another item to it (another bit of inspiration that just hit me) . . .

In order for the U.S. to maintain a high standard of living at the same time we are increasingly uncompetitive in the global labor market, we end up employing ever-growing numbers of people in government agencies, law firms, regulatory bodies, consulting firms, etc. These all add to the cost of doing business in this country, but because the cost they add is several layers removed from the actual price of any given product, they are not readily apparent. As a result, Americans end up paying indirectly for a lot of things collectively (agricultural subsidies, OSHA compliance, "clean air," "clean water," "safe products," etc.) that they would have no interest in buying themselves if their real costs were apparent.