Posted on 08/03/2003 7:42:08 AM PDT by RockyMtnMan
Michael Emmons thought he knew how to keep a job as a software programmer.
"You have to continue to keep yourself up to speed," he said. "If you don't, you'll get washed out."
Up to speed or not, Emmons wound up being "washed out" anyway. Last summer, he moved his family from California to Florida for the Siemens Co., makers of electronics and equipment for industries. Not long after, Emmons and 19 other programmers were replaced by cheaper foreign workers.
Adding insult to injury, Emmons and the others had to train their replacements.
"It was the most demoralizing thing I've ever been through," he told ABCNEWS. "After spending all this time in this industry and working to keep my skills up-to-date, I had to now teach foreign workers how to do my job so they could lay me off."
Just as millions of American manufacturing jobs were lost in the 1980s and 1990s, today white-collar American jobs are disappearing. Foreign nationals on special work visas are filling some positions but most jobs are simply contracted out overseas.
"The train has left the station, the cows have left the barn, the toothpaste is out of the tube," said John McCarthy, director of research at Forrester Research, who has studied the exodus of white-collar jobs overseas. "However you want to talk about it, you're not going to turn the tide on this in the same way we couldn't turn the tide on the manufacturing shift."
India Calling
Almost 500,000 white-collar American jobs have already found their way offshore, to the Philippines, Malaysia and China. Russia and Eastern Europe are expected to be next. But no country has captured more American jobs than India.
In Bangalore, India, reservation agents are booking flights for Delta; Indian accountants are preparing tax returns for Ernst & Young; and Indian software engineers are developing new products for Oracle.
They are all working at a fraction of the cost these companies would pay American workers.
For example, American computer programmers earn about $60,000, while their Indian counterparts only make $6,000.
"It's about cost savings," said Atul Vashistha, CEO of NeoIT, a California-based consulting company that advises American firms interested in "offshoring" jobs previously held by Americans. "They need to significantly reduce their cost of doing business and that's why they're coming to us right now."
Vivek Pal, an Indian contractor for technology consulting group Wipro, whose clients include Microsoft, GE, JP Morgan Chase, and Best Buy, is hiring 2,000 Indian workers quarterly to keep up with demand. Pal knows American workers resent the "offshoring" trend but says all Americans will benefit in the long run.
"Globalization — whether it's for products or services — may feel like it hurts, but at the end of the day, it creates economic value all around," said Pal.
At the end of the day, Emmons has a different view: "If you sit at a desk, beware," he said. "Your job is going overseas."
I suspect that he does not count people who are not CEOs or indendently rich or otherwise "successful" as belonging to the nation. This is the mindset of Latin American oligarchists.
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He wasn't boot out of EDS. He was booted out of General Motors for telling them if they didn't wise up, develop more integrity, and do a better job of designing and building automobiles the Japanese were going to whip them.
Wow!!!
A reply a minute for several hours!
Shrub is gonna be a one termer!!
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He's not a conservative. He's only another kook who is self-impressed by his ability to irritate people.
No, the last line of defense is to call someone a Nazi.
My use of the "let them eat cake" line to Aggamemnon, and indirectly to you, is to make the point that you two are smugly declaring "The hell with American jobs, let them all be CEO's." -- just as Antoinette smugly answered when told of her countrymen's suffering. Not everyone can eat cake. Similarly, not everyone can be a CEO.
JMO, but it seems that you are the one who wants to eat his cake while denying the cake to others.
You know, I've noticed you preface a lot of your comments with JMO or IMO. Is that DaneSpeak for "I, Dane, am about to make another totally off-the-wall comment"?
In actuality, I feel quite the opposite: I want all Americans to have high-paying jobs -- even you, once you get out of high-school.
Oh that's right I am eating pie and not cake. Must be such a disappointment to you in your world of doom and gloom America.
Another "neener neener boo boo" retort from the Danester.
Who said I wanted you for a friend? Third career mistake: choose your friends wisely. Apparently, you think that boss of yours is your "friend" and "protector," and you have chosen to hitch your fortues to his success. He'll take care of your career. Sure. You'll never know career success until you finally decide to be true to yourself, and crawl out from under a shadow. But, if I know your type, you think it's too "scary" out there on your own.
"Let them eat cake?" Do I or the government owe you bread and a career that you don't yet think you owe to yourself? Look in the mirror, not on these posting boards for the reason you are going nowhere.
You evidence more Libertarian-Democrat jealousy than most. You suffer from "Shadenfreud-itis" -- an unrequited misery exhibited by those awaiting the failings of someone else vainly hoping that that will make you feel better about your un-accomplisheed sorry 17-year existence working for "the man." It's really a wonder that any one would want to be your friend at all -- the way you look over your shoulder, envyous of those who you think have made it, just because in your mind you haven't...because the boss won't let you, yada, yada. (It's always somebody else's fault, right?)
Life and opportunity just continue to pass you by and there you are trying to keep up with the Jonses and the veneer of a self-styled "conservatism," failing at both...and resenting it too.
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And in being paid enough to do this they furnished an important market in a market based economy which sustained that economy. Without them the economy will collapse.
LOL. You may be right. I am also impressed by your intuitive grasp that Dane is a negative attention seeker.
Do you realise that those "market rates" are enough to make a good living in India while in America they will qualify a person with family for food stamps, Medicare, housing and cash assistance? Is it the way how you want to subsidize the cheap labor force for the corporations? Guess who will have to pay taxes.
No matter how you spin or slice it you have only three choices - the fair market economy guided by patriotism, class warfare against working class with Latin American style oligarchy or socialism. (Or some combination of these three).
This has been a mystery to me. I have only one college course on economics. But from the beginning of the mass export of American jobs I wondered who would be the tax base.Who will pay for the schools? (teachers look for massive layoffs and salary cuts ..face to face service jobs are the next on the list) Who will pay the for the bloated federal socialist government ? I wondered who would buy cars, insurance, homes , appliances What will happen to the longshore men and sales men and truckers?.
For every factory job, (and now tech jobs) the "service" jobs of other Americans are at risk of being lost. Who will need the maid to make up the bed at "Motel 8", when no one has the money to travel?
Who will tip the waitress at that wonderful Italian restaurant if no one can afford to eat out?
America built an interdependent middle class we all need each other.For a time some of the more educated among us thought they were above "market forces"
Welcome to the real NEW WORLD ORDER
Precisely why I will steer clear of such a smug wannabe oligarchist such as yourself.
Apparently, you think that boss of yours is your "friend" and "protector," and you have chosen to hitch your fortues to his success. He'll take care of your career.
Wow! Your Immense and Ponderous Brain has mindreading abilities as well!
Absurd. He needs a service and I sell him my labor. Of course, since I am in the United States, and since the cost of my labor is artificially inflated by EPA, OSHA and other regulations, there are certain minimums I cannot go below, which such minimums are not set thusly in China and India.
Sure. You'll never know career success until you finally decide to be true to yourself, and crawl out from under a shadow. But, if I know your type, you think it's too "scary" out there on your own.
Guess what? 95% of America thinks it's too scary to start their own business. There's no shame in seeking a different path.
But you, Mr. Smug Himself, thinks that anyone who does not follow YOUR career path is a coward or is lacking in some way.
Not everyone is capable of being a CEO, either mentally or emotionally. But Mr. Smug Himself cannot abide by that. Those people are commoners and subhuman.
You really should move to Argentina. You'd fit right into the Oligarchy.
"Let them eat cake?" Do I or the government owe you bread and a career that you don't yet think you owe to yourself? Look in the mirror, not on these posting boards for the reason you are going nowhere.
Am I going nowhere? Well, I make a little less than a third of your money, but I guess the Immense and Ponderous Brain struck out on that one. I'm not exactly going nowhere. But I do see the trend. The trend is that the vast majority of people will be out of ALL work in the next 10 to 15 years. At that point, those people will be unable to purchase basic goods and services. Do you really want to see what happens when a society is denied basic services? Think: Russia 1918.
You evidence more Libertarian-Democrat jealousy than most. You suffer from "Shadenfreud-itis"
Nonsense. I applaud your success. What I am disgusted by is your attitude. Your smugness and selfishness; your complete lack of concern as to anyone except yourself; and your mistaken belief that all people can be CEO's -- and your contempt for anyone that cannot -- is what has me feeling a little future-Schadenfreud towards you. If you were a little more humble and a little less self-absorbed, I would wish you nothing but continued success.
I have another friend who is quite successful. His screen name is Southack. His successes mirror or exceed your own. Yet I wish him nothing but continued success. Do you know why? It is because he is humble and is not completely self-absorbed.
No, it's really about you, not your success.
For every factory job, (and now tech jobs) the "service" jobs of other Americans are at risk of being lost. Who will need the maid to make up the bed at "Motel 8", when no one has the money to travel?
Who will tip the waitress at that wonderful Italian restaurant if no one can afford to eat out?
America built an interdependent middle class we all need each other.
You are correct in asking these questions. Of course, you will now be labeled a Whiner, a Libertarian-Democrat, and... lessee, what else was I called on this thread....? LOL
PS: Check your tagline. I'm sure you don't mean it to read WERE.
You know, one of the things you should have learned by know is not to start manhood boasts around here. Sooner or later someone will ask you to whip out your credentials and compare. You ain't goann come up a winner a lot of the time.
Nevertheless, the credentials you boast about, matchable though they are by lots of folks around here, are enough to put you in a stratosphere of self-absorbtion that few will want to match. You may be right for yourself, but with thousands of you wailing on every street corner in the land it is not going to win the next presidency.
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