Posted on 03/31/2008 3:34:17 PM PDT by kiriath_jearim
Yes, I agree with you on that. I live “around the corner” from the Tofler plant. It’s not huge, and the market here will absorb those workers. Central Texas is doing well compared to other parts of the country. It’ll all be alright.
Shouldn’t this have a “Made in China” ping?
Soon Dell will be just like ... Lenovo.
It seems that free market principles are lost on some folks. Things evolve, that’s the way it is.
Sorry “free trader”: no more koolaid for you.
China now pwns your koolaid.
Never owned either -— My first ThinkPad was a T40 (I think) and my current is a T43.
This T43 is several years old, and was build FOR IBM by the Lenovo group of Singapore and manufactured in China.
Mine is old enough that it still has the IBM Logo on the outside and inside.... My colleagues still with IBM have mentioned that the Lenovo machines have shown no degradation in quality or reliability... As always - there are other brands on the market with more bells and whistles - but I prefer the smaller and rugged T series due to their reliability and portability combination.
Products made in Ireland are not likely imported to the U.S.
Well this ought to do that region wonders.
You just got me thinking what imports Ireland would import the US anymore? Sweaters and sheep maybe? Don't know. I just want to play their golf courses sometime.
I don't want to be France --- this is different. This is American companies who sell American products to Americans sending solid middle class jobs to countries that pay peanuts.
I grew up in the 70s. Japan was a cause for concern as they were buying up a ton of American property. We were not shipping our middle class jobs over to Japan. In fact, the employment scene here was pretty good (I used to do college recruiting back then) - ups and downs sure but not crazy enough that we were shipping jobs out of the country solely so American companies could pay slave wages elsewhere.
Protectionism is French. They wrote the book on it. It doesn't work very well. Look at how bad France economy sucks before you advocate emulating their business model.
Japan was never a cause for concern among the rational. They sold us electronic goods at a good price, and used a lot of the money to buy American properties and interests in businesses. Everyone thought they were going to ‘eat our lunch’. Now they are hardly even a blip on the radar. Was it protectionism that got us out of our ‘jam’ with Japan?
Either you provide a good service at a good price or you have government DEMAND that a company pay people middle class wages for a ‘slave labor’ job. Who, besides the employee paid middle class wages for a ‘slave labor’ job benefits from that? The company doesn't, the consumer doesn't, and the U.S.A. doesn't benefit.
‘Slave labor’ jobs are better being done in ‘slave labor’ nations.
If your job can be done by a ‘slave’ then go back to school. This is the land of opportunity after all.
It is a good thing for Del or they wouldnt’ be doing it?
What is the alternative? Government mandate that Del must pay Texans wages in perpetuity to make computers that are then too expensive to sell? More government mandates until Del leaves the U.S.A. or goes out of business?
The alternative to the free market is a compulsory market. How well has that worked in the past?
Austin is still one of the hottest job markets in the country. Most of these people will not have problems finding other jobs.
But that wasn't my question.
And how long do ya think it'll be until those jobs in NC, eventually go to Red China?
Indeed.
I do not and will not buy from China. So it would be a bad move on Del's part to move to China, at least for attracting the business of this particular consumer. If they moved it to India I wouldn't have a problem with it at all.
Instead of inventing your own reality or dreaming up a worse case scenario lets deal with things as they are.
Plant closes in Texas. Good for Del or they wouldnt’ have done it. Good for consumers because they get a less expensive product. Good for job applicants in North Carolina where they are expanding. Good for Del stockholders. Good for the U.S.A. that we are not listening to our homegrown French who think we need government intervention telling companies where they can hire and fire.
Trying answering #51 without dodging and weaving.
So where do ya think many of these business move once they find out they can get cheaper labor than in NC, the plains of Kansas and Mexico? I might be wrong, but I would not be surprised that many of the Dell components are already manufactured in Communist China.
Lets review my posts....
Your question: “So you're suggesting Dell laying off thousands in Texas is a good thing?”
Me: post #52. Its a good thing for North Carolina where the jobs are going. It is a good thing for Del or they wouldnt’ be doing it
Me again: post #56. Good for Del or they wouldnt’ have done it. Good for consumers because they get a less expensive product. Good for job applicants in North Carolina where they are expanding. Good for Del stockholders. Good for the U.S.A. that we are not listening to our homegrown French who think we need government intervention telling companies where they can hire and fire.
So am I saying that Del laying off thousands in Texas is a good thing? Yes. Good for all involved except those who lost their jobs and cannot find another.
What additional government regulations or programs should the U.S.A. implement to make sure that these people NEVER EVER have to lose their jobs EVER again to a cruel heartless corporation that wants to make a profit by providing the best product at the lowest price?
Try answering THAT!
"If your job can be done by a ‘slave’ then go back to school. This is the land of opportunity after all."
That is absolute crap. This year at MIT, Engineering applicants are down 30% from previous years. You know why? Not a 'safe' job choice. Check out the declining enrollment for an IT degree from our best schools. You know why? Not a 'safe' job choice.
Listen to Bill Gates lament (as he lobbies for more H1-B visas that are generally taken up by the holders of L1 visas [lowest educational level]) the poor educational system in our country and how he cannot find American IT workers... and then he pumps millions into the Indian IT educational system. India's educational system is abysmal, btw. They go for quantity and not quality. But boy, the workers are cheap!!
And don't twist my words... I didn't say that the jobs were 'slave labor' jobs ONLY that our middle class American jobs are paid in slave labor wages in China or in India.
Personally, I would happily buy (for instance) a dependable pc, pay a few more dollars and have it made here in the USA. I hate that most of what we buy is cheap and needs to be replaced frequently - but that is the culture corp America has created and we have 'bought' into at this time. My own company sells groceries to only Americans but hires H1-B's to replace American IT workers and is in the process of outsourcing hundreds of IT jobs to India. They are known to be one of the hightest price chains, so they don't save consumers money by lowering wages - in fact, the CEO recently got a 'golden parachute' of 105.5 million.
I don't believe it is 'protectionist' to act in the best interests of your own country and employ Americans where you can - especially if you want them to buy your products - but that would put a serious damper on corporate greed.
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