[PackerBoy]

I am not without compassion for those who are unemployed and whose jobs are being sent overseas. But people must accept that "new reality" and move on. They must either re-tool themselves to provide services that are needed by others or move wherever the work they can do is. This is now and always will be true.

I'll bet there were a lot of buggy whip manufacturing workers who lost their livelihoods when automobiles came into being a couple of generations ago.

If you lose your job like this fellow, you should have yourself a good cry, take stock of your God-given talents, research what skills and workers are needed, and re-tool yourself to meet those needs.

[StatesEnemy]

They must either re-tool themselves to provide services that are needed by others or move wherever the work they can do is

What a load of crap... Folks WERE 'retooling' themselves a few years ago for the IT boom that has now busted.

Explain to me the 'sense of fairness' in employing 5k per year engineers in India that were schooled in US universities on freebee foreign student programs? We've been sold out by greedy multi-corps who use the US military for protection and then screws the US citizens.

[EverOnward]

"If you lose your job like this fellow, you should have yourself a good cry, take stock of your God-given talents, research what skills and workers are needed, and re-tool yourself to meet those needs."

and what "needs" are there? Wal Mart and McDonald's have "needs"... What we need are politicians that represent the American NOT big business and foreign interests.

[JoeSchem]

I am not without compassion for those who are unemployed and whose jobs are being sent overseas. But people must accept that "new reality" and move on.

I agree with a lot of what you're saying, but something is strange when highly-experienced American tech writers are working in delis for $8/hr while tech writing jobs are going to India for $12/hr. When the author muses about the priorities of big business, he's not questioning their patriotism, he's questioning their profit motive.

I have run into this same kind of discrimination myself, losing jobs whose very 'foreignness' is regarded as a kind of favorable attribute without paying attention to actual performance. And I'd like to know why.

[q_an_a]

Someone who can write can find a job in the medical industry and they are not hurting for jobs. It may take 3 years to go from starting out to making a good living, but 3 years is not forever.

The 61 year old former Nam officer that is a different story. Too many parts that are unexplained to know what caused a disabled man to be working without help either from the VA, Boeing or the State of Washington. Too many unknows. Say a prayer.

[Cogadh na Sith]

I'll bet there were a lot of buggy whip manufacturing workers who lost their livelihoods when automobiles came into being a couple of generations ago.

OK... I'll bite.

If your allegory holds true and working for high-tech software and aerospace companies is 'buggy whip manufacturing' what is the new fangled technology 'automobile' that will bring all the new jobs? Hmmmm?