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.

[billbears]

I think my idea of reemployment accounts makes a lot of sense. In essence, it says that you get $3,000 from the federal government to help you with training, day care, transportation, perhaps moving to another city. And if, within a period of time, you're able to find a job, you keep the balance as a reemployment bonus.

I wouldn't call sticking taxpayers with $3,000 dollar bills per job hunter compassionate. I would on the other hand call it a liberal government program...

[Snerfling]

this is a much more profound shift than simple cyclical economics

That's the most accurate point I've seen on this entire thread. The problem with focusing on H1-Bs is that it is already a dead issue. It is much more cost effective to have the programmers stay in their home country and outsource the services overseas.

So now the question becomes one of tariffs/protection. IIRC, in modern times, this country has never placed taxes on imported goods/services EXCEPT when it was proven that they were being sold BELOW their production costs or outright protection of certain industries; eg the Japanse steel/automotive import battles of the 1980s.

Since programming services outsourced to Indian companies are being provided above their cost of production (ie there aren't any gov't subsidies covering the differential), nor are there only 3 big software firms accounting for 100% of US production (a la autos), I find it very difficult to believe that the US will enact any type of tariffs.

If that is the case, then it is futile to waste any time fighting this issue. Given the state of communications technology, technical services can be easily outsourced to foreign countries. Low skill, geographically constrained (local) jobs are subect to displacement from (illegal) immigration.

The key is to find jobs that are local and require good English/inter-personal skills. I was having my car repaired at the local dealer and marveled at how busy it was. In heavily illegal SoCal, every single person was a native English speaker - not just the mechanics, but everyone.

Got me thinking (always a dangerous thing).

[RockyMtnMan]

The real point every Freeper should understand is that a vast majority of the techies feel threatened regardless of their skill sets. The many other professions of the middle-class are also beginning to become aware of the issue and some of them feel threatened as well. Whether or not their fear is misplaced is completely irrelevant.

The Republicans had better clear the air or they will lose more votes than they realize.

[clamper1797]

Davis's ramapnt socialism in your state had nothing to do about your friends current plight, did it

Though I would love to blame Red Davis ... his plight is due to the Federal H1B program ... BTW Chris is very conservative. He has become an author ... kinda pays the bills for him but he's still looking for an engineering position. One does NOT just throw a career away.

[Helms]

"They're concerned about jobs going overseas, that technology is taking over jobs."

Two separate issues, he chose the second.

Leave it to the press core to cleverly contrive a question

I saw the press conference and notice very carefully and cleverly construed questions asked by the press.

GW's statement was relative to the problems challenges which technology presents to the workforce and the need to be proficient in the new economy. IMHO this was not in any way insensitive to what many have seized upon re outsourcing.Though it needs to be addressed.

Damned you could see the exasperation when dealing w/ the Troglodyte Press core. He deserves a vacation and when he comes back, I hope he continues pummeling these elitists further into the ground.

You watch, the boomerang is on a trajectory course which will allow a cloture proof Senate in 04.

[MEG33]

I hope so!

[Southack]

No, I'm not reprehensible. I simply pointed out that **your** claim was baseless, and now you've gotten all upset that you couldn't find any data to back up your wild-eyed claim that the American middle class had shrunk in physical size.

In fact, average salaries have gone **UP** in the last five years.

Just don't let such facts get in your way, right?! That might make me "reprehensible" for pointing them out to you, I guess...

[Tauzero]

Too bad I don't belong to IEEE. I could then cancel my membership over this nonsense.

[nutmeg]

ping

[nutmeg]

President Blames Unemployment On Lack Of Tech Skills..................

He and his advisors had better take off their blinders. This is a #%^&$)(*& insult. This is rotten and denigrating of the many well educated who have great schooling & training and are seeing their jobs being deported to India, Russia etc.

I agree. I was totally stunned by President Bush's answer during that press conference.

[nutmeg]

ping!

Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.

[strela]

As always, you da man. Thanks for exhuming this thread.

[dandelion]

It came back from the dead! Woo Hoo, all our passionate posts are BACK!!

Jim Rob is the Ultimate Moderator...

[dennisw]

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

An absurd and laughable lie. Our young nation had tariffs and few other Federal taxes

See Ayn Rand

That settles it? Because the patron saint of ego tripping fools, Ayn Rand, said so? Is that where you read this lie? Or maybe you read that book and think you read it there but instead it really flew out of your butt.
 

[dennisw]

I'm glad this thread is back.

[jmc813]

placeholder bump

[eccl1212]

I see that there are quite a few folks here who support outsourcing to foreign nations, that are not even democracies... but third world borderline nations...

perhaps that is because they are making money off of their investments in companies that are now practicing foreign outsourcing...

greed at work.
hard to know what can be done when the president doesn't seem to get what's going on.... maybe he has had a bad week?
I dunno.
But his statement sounds like he is rather out of touch on this issue. Better believe that some democrats will pick up on this by tomorrow afternoon.

I don't think I go with the america ONLY crowd... but I wonder, shouldn't american companies put american workers first? Or is maximising the bottom line no matter who gets screwed, the way our system is supposed to work?

[eccl1212]

I see that there are quite a few folks here who support outsourcing to foreign nations, that are not even democracies... but third world borderline nations...

perhaps that is because they are making money off of their investments in companies that are now practicing foreign outsourcing...

greed at work.
hard to know what can be done when the president doesn't seem to get what's going on.... maybe he has had a bad week?
I dunno.
But his statement sounds like he is rather out of touch on this issue. Better believe that some democrats will pick up on this by tomorrow afternoon.

I don't think I go with the america ONLY crowd... but I wonder, shouldn't american companies put american workers first? Or is maximising the bottom line no matter who gets screwed, the way our system is supposed to work?

[eccl1212]

I see that there are quite a few folks here who support outsourcing to foreign nations, that are not even democracies... but third world borderline nations...

perhaps that is because they are making money off of their investments in companies that are now practicing foreign outsourcing...

greed at work.
hard to know what can be done when the president doesn't seem to get what's going on.... maybe he has had a bad week?
I dunno.
But his statement sounds like he is rather out of touch on this issue. Better believe that some democrats will pick up on this by tomorrow afternoon.

I don't think I go with the america ONLY crowd... but I wonder, shouldn't american companies put american workers first? Or is maximising the bottom line no matter who gets screwed, the way our system is supposed to work?

[Ed_in_NJ]

Dubya ought to get out more often...in THIS country!