Certainly, there are low end aspects to each. The unfortunate truth for many IT pros is that their profession has been commodified. Yes, we can go back and forth over quality of work issues, but the market will sort that out. But if a company can pay some Indian $4k/year to do what an American will only do for $50k, you'll see outsourcing.
I think sometimes we look at IT as the industry for employment that is the most essential (and cutting edge) as we move forward. But that may not be the case. As IT builds on itself, we may see a wholesale decrease in demand for actual breathing human beings in that industry.
Remember, information technology is responsible for massive job elimination because of the gains in efficiency and productivity it allows. Who's to say it won't actually do the same to itself?
Very good point. How many offices now have a typing pool? Most everyone can now type and print their own memo. Damn IT guys. If they didn't hook up all those printers we'd still have typists.
Exactly right. I lost my job as a punch-card handler 20 years ago and still haven't found a new punch-card handling job. < /sarcasm>
Very good point. However, it has been commodified quite clumsily, leading to the impression that one Java programmer with three years experience is interchangable with any other. Demonstrably false, and plenty of studies show it. But at the moment, with almost all the attention on quarterly numbers instead of long-term growth, it's an awfully attractive idea.
Incidentally, your comparison bewtween American and Indian wages is way off of reality. Recent studies show about a 1/3 savings at best (and every company jumping into this assumes they'll be one of the best) when work is offshored. Salary is obviously only one factor - and Indian salaries are structured differently than in the U. S. so you can't just look at base salary.
On the other hand those sort of ridiculously large disparities are definitely stuck in the minds of most Americans - and CEO's and Boards of Directors are infected with that same dazzling vision. They think they've finally found a lunch which, if not exactly free, is darn close.
Hindsight will show that the market didn't pay Indian workers so much less on accident. It was a measure of their productivity and subsequent market value. And while it's certainly on the rise, it is not equivalent to U. S. workers.