I should also add that should a company refuse to ship what work they can abroad to take advantage of lower wages, their competitors will. Let's say for instance that Hewlett Packard was to decree that henceforth no more programming and support jobs will be shipped overseas. Do you think the consumers will rally around HP and buy their more expensive products and services? Hell no. HP's competitors will have them for lunch.
I should hasten to add that the American consumer also makes no distinction anymore as to whether or not a product is manufactured in the USA. If there are Chinese made jeans at Wal-Mart selling for $10 a pair less than the American-made jeans, guess what? The Chinese-made jeans will fly off the shelves and virtually nobody will touch the more expensive ones.
I must say that it makes me feel uncomfortable that many of our well-paying jobs are being shipped overseas. But I see no way out of it other than the government telling companies they can't do that. But then that will go against most of what conservatives are supposed to stand for (free market capitalism, less government regulation of industry, etc.).
It certainly is a dilemma.
I'd also add that if the American consumer pays little attention to the "Made In USA" labels then foreign consumers couldn't care less. Brazilian consumers aren't going to pay a 10% premium on American-made items to keep Americans at work.