Trading Away Jobs and Liberty

The New American ^ | June 30, 2003 | William F. Jasper

[CCCV]

...Hundreds of thousands of American IT workers have lost their jobs in the past several years to foreign replacements through the L-1 visa loophole, or the similar H-1B visa program. American software engineers, computer designers, technicians, electrical engineers, and other hi-tech employees are feeling the downside of globalization. These professionals who invested in education and thought they had secure futures in the tech and service industries have had a rude awakening. They have been getting pink slips and joining the unemployment lines, along with auto workers, steel workers, assembly-line workers, loggers, and other low-tech workers. They are being replaced by low-wage workers on computer terminals working from India, Pakistan, and China. ...

[CCCV]

Industry traded away converting ours to a sercive economy. Now services are on the chopping block. The U.S. Constitution does not give the Federal Government the authority to tamper in these matters...

your thoughts?

[CCCV]

"...ours to a sercive economy..."
That would be a "Service economy..."
Note to self..check for spelling and typing errors

[snopercod]

Gee, none of you IT workers gave a $hit when us real engineers lost our jobs to foreigners.

Unemployment's a bitch, isn't it? My advice: get used to it, 'cause your glory days ain't never comin' back.

[Malesherbes]

Yesterday's "Forbes on Fox" was especially interesting. It seems that we are now exporting not just manufacturing jobs but design and engineering as well - to China and India where PhD's are happy to work for $ 10,000 a year. Three of the five panelists said this is bad; Steve Forbes and one other panelist said it's okay. Forbes said that we will get these jobs back after we (1) get school choice, and (2) get the trial lawyers off our backs. Dream on, Steve!

[dr_who_2]

Any whine with your cheese?

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

And (3) When Hell freezes over.

[PokeyJoe]

I wonder what Steve will say when management consulting (executive grooming fields for MBA screwls) moves to India as well.

[dfrussell]

Gee, none of you IT workers gave a $hit when us real engineers lost our jobs to foreigners.

Not completely true.... I worked in steel mills etc. going to college, North Carolina has a lot of textile workers who've also lost jobs, my mother worked for Westinghouse when it was laying everyone off... most of us are familiar with the issue. I would agree that a lot of younger IT workers didn't see the point previously.

The US government is making a mistake, and the 15Billion being poured down the African Aids hole would be better spent here. US companies are also making a mistake, but you'll never be able to convince beancounters of that.

As for "real engineers," I was a math and physicas major :)

[MissAmericanPie]

The Fed is not tampering in these matters? ROFLOL, both parties are up to their eyebrows in pushing for Free Trade globalism.

We need laws regarding foreign ownership and investment in American corporations, land, etc. and yet we have a government that signs onto every anti-American treaty that shows up, and refuses to protect it's citizens by the use of tariffs, protecting our sovereign borders, ejecting illegals, etc.

[Glenn]

Gee, none of you IT workers gave a $hit when us real engineers lost our jobs to foreigners.

Oh, that's priceless. This topic must really push a button.

[CCCV]

Gee, none of you IT workers gave a $hit when us real engineers lost our jobs to foreigners. Unemployment's a bitch, isn't it? My advice: get used to it, 'cause your glory days ain't never comin' back.

Interesting.. the difference between weekend Freepers and weekday freepers. Well, FYI: I am a "real" engineer as you call it. Electrical Engineering is my field, PE license in 26 states. Another FYI: I’ve been screaming to my elected officials for over 15 years now about trading away our jobs with all of these "trade agreements". I am sorry if you lost your job but sitting down and saying, "well yours is coming" places you in the same category as the indifferent folks (I call them the "as long as they don’t come after mine" crowd) who got us in this situation to start with. Forgive me for posting in your precious time. I’ll reserve my Freeping to the times when intelligent people who actually READ the articles and discuss opinions are out. Enjoy your time wallowing in self pity. There are some of us who will try and save what’s left of our country for you to wallow in.

[Ed_in_NJ]

ALL industries/occupations are vulnerable. If the 'bosses' say "we can only pay $9 an hour," they won't get US workers to apply -- then they can tell the Feds they NEED to import foreign workers 'cause there's a "shortage."

In come the guest workers, and US workers are hosed.

Simi9larly, with low-cost high-speed communications links, any kind of offshore services can undercut homegrown (with all the govt-imposed overhead costs).

[FITZ]

The US government is making a mistake, and the 15Billion being poured down the African Aids hole would be better spent here.

The China government is actually promoting and financially aiding it's businesses, providing them with buildings and electricity and other financial help to get started. Our government is intentionally making it very difficult for the average business with extremely high taxation and regulations.

[snopercod]

My apologies. I'm just raging at fate, not anybody in particular. I do it 7 days per week, not just on weekends.

I've spent my entire life learning how to design and build things. I built my first transistor radio in 1957. Built my first computer in 1962 from a Popular Electronics article. (Got to the California State Science Fair with that one.) Learned how to be a machinist in 1964. Learned welding, sheet metal, electronics, sand casting, investment casting, drafting, woodworking over the next four years while getting an EE degree from a top school. Got my general building contractor's license. Helped build two nuclear plants (one as an instrumentation engineer, and one as an HVAC startup engineer). Moved on to aerospace and launched space shuttles for 13 years.

Pardon me if I've become a little peevish about the fact that I have apparently wasted my entire life learning worthless skills.

I really regret that I never got my PE.

[CCCV]

My apologies. I'm just raging at fate, not anybody in particular.

No problem. Sorry I had my feelings out there on my sleeve. I’m not usually that touchy, but I just finished writing my Senators (usually a useless venture) and the fears that I have were still fresh. My “hats off” to you. You got started a bit before I did and helped make the career field what it is today (At least before Congress got a hold to it). My Dad worked at the Cape down in Florida from around 1957 or so to 1968. I stood in my front yard and watched most of the Mercury projects, all of Gemini, and the Apollo’s until 1968 leave for space. Man the windows would shake when those monsters went up. My Father in law retired from NASA and knew most of the Apollo and first Shuttle astronauts personally. He retired about 6 or so years ago. I finished my EE degree in 1984 after spending just under 10 years in the USAF.
The skill is still good, we just need to get America First representatives in Congress!

[BudgieRamone]

And few of the engineers and none of the accountants gave a darn when all the production work was farmed out to China, Mexico, and India. In fact many engineering and accounting departments accelerated the rate at which those jobs went out the door. Saving money instead of making it, thats the new business model....Who can we screw out of a job this week?

[riri]

we just need to get America First representatives in Congress!

Not going to happen.

[hedgetrimmer]

If the public can figure out how to get a recall vote for the governor off the ground, surely we all can figure out, how to get legislation passed that limits the power of corporations in the federal government (all you free traders, the government is supposed to protect _individual_ rights and when corporations are the favored constituents you _know_ that doesn't happen) and remove from office the egregiously communuist globalist politicians (like California's Sam Farr who never met a communist dictator he didn't like).

[CCCV]

Not going to happen
It would seem that you are corect, but there is a small glimmer of hope. In the last few years there have been a few Congressmen that have actually READ the Constitution.
even if "We the people" fail to regain control of our government; I have to go down fighting...

[CCCV]

And few of the engineers and none of the accountants
HEY! Don't lump us all in with the Bean Counters..