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.

[dirtboy]

I say we give Bush a chance to change his mind - it's over a year before the election - with some freeper effort I think he could come around.

That's why we're here yelling and screaming - because if Bush doesn't come around on these issues, he's more likely to go down to defeat to someone who does.

[kms61]

This comment is potentially on par with his father's grocery store gaffe...

[MEGoody]

"Why didn't you or your friend go into patent law?"

So they should have read the future to know what field to get into so they'd be employed come 2003?

Or are you saying they should go back to school to become lawyers? Since they are umemployed, they have no money for school. How do you feel about government grants for higher education?

[RaceBannon]

You'll like this post #1

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/954156/posts

[dirtboy]

How's that "shrinking" middle class data coming?!

It's taking some time, considering that you don't think it qualifies as a problem when someone goes from upper-middle-class to lower-middle-class.

[dfwgator]

Is there a Perot running this year?

You mean the same Perot whose company Perot Systems outsources software development to India?

[luckydevi]

The solution is real simple. The answer is less regulation not more of it. The solution is to reduce costs here, make it cheaper to due business here. Foreign companies should want to come here, not vice versa. The answer is not moe government it is less government

[MEGoody]

"Is there a Perot running this year?"

If there was someone on par with Perot running against a clown and a gorilla, I'd be voting for either the clown or the gorilla.

[RaceBannon]

if it were only that simple...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/954156/posts

[Quix]

I felt embarrassed for him saying such a thing.

But what are the stats?

[Joe Hadenuf]

If your employer can find someone to do your job for less, you need to make yourself more valuable. Life is not fair.

That's exactly right. Some of these whiners should beg to have their salaries reduced by 40 percent or more, so they too can compete and not have to worry about being fired. That could by them time to learn new skills too. The government never told us life would be easy.

[dirtboy]

The solution is real simple. The answer is less regulation not more of it. The solution is to reduce costs here, make it cheaper to due business here. Foreign companies should want to come here, not vice versa. The answer is not moe government it is less government

MY question is real simple, too. Once again, what is your nationality, and do you have any vested interests in the H1-B or L1 visa programs, or in outsourcing American jobs overseas?

[MissAmericanPie]

Finally, a man who knows his beans about what he is talking about. Thanks for the input, but I don't have alot of hope that anyone will grasp your lucid, undeniable facts, because common sense has vanished from the playing field.

[MEGoody]

I merely quoted the article. If the article was incorrect in what it said, seems like the author of same was at fault. (But is that surprising, given the lack of credibility of the media these days?)

[Dane]

So they should have read the future to know what field to get into so they'd be employed come 2003?

Or are you saying they should go back to school to become lawyers? Since they are umemployed, they have no money for school. How do you feel about government grants for higher education?

How do you know that they didn't get government grants for their intial education?

Oh and BTW, I didn't say "lawyers", I said "patent lawyers" but like any other occupation where there is a glut, prices will go down.

It's a mean cycle, but so is life and you learn how to roll with the punches.

[Florida_Irish]

That was the point: to get this ruckus started. We need to get Bush back into the real world. A good email/fax freeping should get him back on the side of Americans.

If not, we vote third party in '04. A loss will do the GOP good to bring it back to the right and on the side of Americans.

I understood his comments and the context. In fact, I read the transcript before posting to make sure of the context. Most readers, and myself, have it right: Bush has lost his sense of reality.

[RogueIsland]

I'm sorry, but protectionism is the Marxist policy.

I didn't know that Alexander Hamilton was a Marxist. I learn something new on Free Republic every day!

[luckydevi]

"Once again, what is your nationality"

What the hell does this have to do with anything. I hate outsourcing as well, I know its bad for this country. But the solution you and many others offer is terrible. It will hurt us not help us.

[RaceBannon]

It is both.

It is less regulation on domestic businesses that prevent startups and prevent growth

It is more regulation on outside country goods, foreign goods, raising tariffs to save American jobs, like our forefathers did, and which Marxists dislike.

[Southack]

"It's taking some time, considering that you don't think it qualifies as a problem when someone goes from upper-middle-class to lower-middle-class."

Why are you making this debate so easy for me?! You know that you can't substantiate your claim above about me anymore than you can find existing demographic data to support your earlier wild-eyed claim about the American middle-class actually shrinking in physical size.

Likewise, your "spin", along with this entire thread, about Bush's rephrasing of a reporter's question (e.g. "In other words"), borders upon hysterical.

You people are far too eager, yes, EAGER to bash Bush for any percieved ill. Your objectivity is shot.