Posted on 07/30/2003 2:20:00 AM PDT by sarcasm
NEW DELHI: The United States of America is currently facing a double whammy, thanks to the growing tide of "outsourcing" worldwide. While high-paying tech jobs are moving overseas - especially to India, US workers are being replaced by their less demanding (in terms of dollars) foreign counterparts.
Just as millions of American manufacturing jobs were lost in the 1980s and 1990s, it's now turn for the white-collar American jobs to disappear. Foreign nationals on special work visas are filling some positions but most jobs are simply contracted out overseas.
A US media report said that till now nearly half-a-million American tech jobs have already found their way offshore, and India has been the hottest spot for these migrants. The other destinations include Philippines, Malaysia and China.
A survey done by Gartner Inc. says that one out of 10 jobs in the US computer services and software industry could shift to lower-cost emerging markets by the end of 2004.
Research director at Forrester Research, John McCarthy, who has studied the exodus of white-collar jobs overseas, was quoted as saying in ABC TV, "The train has left the station, the cows have left the barn, the toothpaste is out of the tube... you're not going to turn the tide on this in the same way we couldn't turn the tide on the manufacturing shift."
After all, it's all about cost savings that matters. Indians are all working at a fraction of the cost paid to the American workers. For example, American computer programmers earn about $60,000, while their Indian counterparts only make $6,000.
California-based consulting company - NeoIT - that advises American firms interested in "offshoring" jobs previously held by Americans feels, "They need to significantly reduce their cost of doing business."
While, Wipro's Vivek Paul notes that American workers might resent the "offshoring" trend, but all Americans will benefit in the long run.
Our trade policies need to reflect an increasing carrot (meaning less and less tarriff and restrictions) to countries that come closer and closer to a true free market where those moral values and those liberties are represented.
Just my opinion.
Just mine, too. I have gone from a staunch free trader to a virulent opponent of same.
What lower prices? I'm paying the same amount of money for cheap labor products like clothing, electronics, and food that I paid when they were made or processed in the states. The only difference is the foreign companies can afford to temporarily lower prices to undercut their American competitors, then raise them again once those competitors are out of business.
That's not fair trade.
Ultimately, if we do not awaken to that fact and where they intend for it to lead, and then act accordingly now...it will lead to physical warfare. It may be unavoidable already...but unless we reverse the trends now, we are going to be placed into a very bad situation in a few years and it will require a lot of blood, harsh reality, austerity and abject sacrifice to reverse it then, and it will be a very dicey, and iffy proposition.
...or useless eater.
On the other hand, we could open a consulting firm to teach Americans how to deal with Indians: Praise them to the skies constantly, Never send them a memo (they will reply with 3,000 absolutely unintelligible pages), never blame them for anything bad that happens, never ask a question that presupposes a "Yes or No" type answer, never expect closure in any negotiation, or fulfillment of contractual obligations... good solid intercultural stuff like that.
I pray tens of millions of more do the same Laz, that they have the forsight and, IMHO, the openess and commitment to fundamental moral principle to do so. I am afraid our way of life and our liberty, or that of our children and grandchildren, will depend on it.
Someone said on another thread that even certain McDonalds jobs like taking orders are now being serviced out to Taiwanese. The order is taken and submitted by computer.
So what's going to be left... can they offshore toilet cleaning jobs?
Ahh...but we're still armed...so LOOK OUT!
And that Second Amendment will have to go eventually won't it? After all, in Brazil they don't have the same gun rights as Americans, and for good reason.
The adversaries of our way of life, system of government and liberty have always known they would have to weaken us morally and ultimately take the guns.
Our founders understood this too.
"A general dissolution of the principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force of the common enemy.... While the people are virtuous they cannot be subdued; but once they lose their virtue, they will be ready to surrender their liberties to the first external or internal invader.... If virtue and knowledge are diffused among the people, they will never be enslaved. This will be their great security." - Samuel Adams
Yeah back to the outhouses. Hey, what's the problem with that anyway, nothing like a little fresh air when it's 20 below I'm sure the free traders will bellow. We're all living under tyranny and repression in that bathroom anyway, we just don't know it.
Damn Lo-Flo toilets.
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