President Blames Unemployment On Lack Of Tech Skills

IEEE ^

[Florida_Irish]

During a Wednesday morning (July 30th) press conference, President Bush was asked a question about jobs going overseas as a result of technological innovation. His response was:

"I fully understand what you're saying. In other words, as technology races through the economy, a lot of times worker skills don't keep up with technological change."

Many people have taken his response to mean that unemployment in the high-tech sector is the result of American workers who allowed their skills to become obsolete. This is an unacceptable explanation.

[TheSpottedOwl]

Isn't it great to spend other people's money?

Isn't it great to cut your fellow American's throat, and render them unemployed? Isn't it great to ship off living wage jobs to India and leave your former employees twisting in the wind? We real Americans take care of our own. If people need a hand because of this insanity, I say give it to them!!

[StolarStorm]

Do you really think that anything will be done about h1-bs or outsourcing? I don't. Politicians never do anything until it's too late. By to late, I mean massive unemployment and the rise of socialism in America.

I have yet to see how these pure 'capitalists' on this board don't realize the end result of current trends. Maybe they do, and the simply don't care as long as they are doing well in the short term. Either that, or some of these individuals are shills posting out of Bombay.

[luckydevi]

Isn't it great to be a socialist.

[clamper1797]

Those are probably not H1B's but actually are immigrants ... and if they are Americans citizens .... then I have NO problem with them. My problem ... first and foremost ... is with bringing in "guest" workers to replace American workers.

I do believe we should drastically curtail immigration too but don't have that big a problem with it ... LEGAL immigration that is

[bvw]

Yes that is a solution, or a good part of one.

Yet ... it's like saying that the solution is that the patient needs a heart-lung transplant. Fine. Now we need a surgeon, none such exist yet, an opeartory -- none that are can handle such a procedure, a donor! (who is the volunteer?), and all the other support.

Nevertheless, here it is, upon us. Survival time against the tsunami! It's here, now. Good luck to all.

[arete]

Practice flipping the burgers with both hands if you want to keep up or you will be replaced by someone who can. We're the government and we're here to liberate your jobs blah, blah and, it's for the children. Oh did I mention, forget about the jobs, you got a tax cut.

Richard W.

[TheSpottedOwl]

The answer is not more regulation it is less regulation.

No kidding, and tariffs up the yingyang. Make it totally unprofitable to outsource.

[Tokhtamish]

I figure a lot of these guys are free traitor PR plants. Like TexasAggie79 building the Chinese war machine...

[Dane]

I wonder if they know Reagan was a fan of free trade

SHHHH, that is not to be known, on these type of threads.

[thackney]

if they were to get training for technical jobs, they would graduate that training into the tech sector that is facing the greatest job loss

The point I am trying to make, poorly perhaps, is this is NOT what the president was saying. No part of the presidents answer was moving people into tech jobs.

The IEEE article tried to twist his response into saying Tech people were not adequately trained. That is not what he said either. Individuals do need to keep up with evolving technology or they will be left behind.

I am an consulting electrical engineer, working in the oil & gas industry. I GREATLY understand loss of jobs, and jobs going overseas. I have looked at taking a LARGE paycut in exchange for some job security.

The H1-B and L1 visas need to be brought back under control. There is some progress here, but not enough.

I am not wild about another government handout. But perhaps reasonable tariffs on import tech products (like software, design, etc) could be used as has been done in manufacturing.

[luckydevi]

For god sake the answer is not more regulation it is less regulation. Protectionism will cause far more harm than good.

[dirtboy]

Oh well I guess lame attempts at humor is what one should expect when one points out to a person who totally believes the total misconstruation of Bush's quote.

Gee, Dane, you've bleated that charge several times, I guess if you say it over and over again, you won't have to substantiate it. But, then again, that's probably how you debate in the playground when you're not on FR.

[JesseHousman]

That little comment is going to cost him a lot of votes.

Who is going to step up to the plate for the right side of America?

Where is he?

Who is going to stay home on election day or vote for Hillary?

We need a legitimate third party candidate who will siphon votes from the DemocRATs and the RepublicRATs.

[dirtboy]

For god sake the answer is not more regulation it is less regulation. Protectionism will cause far more harm than good.

How is it protectionism to curtail the H1-B visa program, which was predicated on a condition that is no longer true, namely that there is a shortage of qualified IT workers in this country?

[dirtboy]

The point I am trying to make, poorly perhaps, is this is NOT what the president was saying. No part of the presidents answer was moving people into tech jobs.

See my reply in #318.

[Tokhtamish]

Your dad is in for a rude shock.

[y2k_free_radical]

Who advises BUSH-BIG BUSINESS

[Dane]

Gee, Dane, you've bleated that charge several times, I guess if you say it over and over again, you won't have to substantiate it. But, then again, that's probably how you debate in the playground when you're not on FR

JMO, but with your misconstruation of Bush's remarks it seems that you are the one in your own conceived playground.

[wesdale]

I do believe in the premises of the Declaration of Independence, however outdated you may think it is.