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Ernest Hollings was on with Lou Dobbs tonight talking about this phenomena. I am telling you, the Dems are going to pick this up as an issue. Its not just IT, its human resources departments, customer service, financial services, basically any job that can be done using a computer terminal is going to be offshored by US corporate management who use the savings to put into their own pockets. This is going to be a big issue, not that the Dems will do anything about it, but they will talk about it and promise programs for the displaced workers, and believe me they will gain votes from it.

There just aren't enough service jobs that pay high wages to support a middle class in this country if all of these "information" jobs go overseas.

I agree that this is a hot domestic issue and I hope that the GOP responds to the problem before the Dems have a chance to pick it up and run with it.
As a very recently out-of-work s/w engineer, programming since 1983, I see the problem as three-fold:
1. The stock market dot.com crash (and general recession)
2. "Outsourcing" (unknown #, rumours of up to 1/3 of bay area jobs)
3. Hundreds of thousands of H1B visas issued over the last several years, (325,000+ foreign guest workers here).

When there is a shortage of engineers/programmers or whatever, outsourcing and H1B visas are acceptable. But, as there no longer appears to be a shortage, but rather a false surplus brought on by outsourcing and visas, then it should stop.
But how? I suppose OUR government could stop renewing and issuing visas, but I don't know how to stop outsourcing. It is apparently very economical for the U.S. corporations engaging in it. Although, I do have first-hand experience that the end quality will be significantly impaired. And I expect that goes for all jobs across the board, whether it is someone in Bombay answering my questions about my American Express card account or some code that is having problems getting integrated and working according to specifications.
Career changes at the level of experience and education required in high-tech will be painful. It will mean a lot of people will suddenly be paying a lot less income tax. It may result in an increase of "For Sale" signs in our neighborhoods very soon (if not already). It will be very distressing and disrupting for many Americans. And, it sure won't help the economy.

There just aren't enough service jobs that pay high wages to support a middle class in this country if all of these "information" jobs go overseas.

Don't forget manufacturing..

I get a laugh every time I hear some techie say: "But, I went to college, I have a degree!"

So ******* what?

If it's good for manufacturing, then it's good for everybody, imo.. If it's not, then perhaps we should re-think it.

But I don't want to hear any more complaints from those who were all for sending jobs overseas till their ox got gored.