[SaucyJim]

Hello. This is my first post in this forum. It is my hope that through these posts, I will reach a few open minds with my ideas.

This post is with regards to the shipping of American jobs to other countries. This is taking place at an alarming pace, while many of my fully-qualified friends and countrymen (do we still have countries?) remain unemployed. Of course, the latest trend is the tech job market contraction, so the fact that I live in the Silicon Valley makes it seem even worse.

So, I was working with my Quicken software the other day (gotta love those taxes, eh?) when I decided that I would spring for telephone support for one of the more confusing higher-level functions (also known as "Why doesn't this work!?") of the software. After visiting Intuit's website, I found a telephone number for support at $1.95 per minute. Wow! Let's consider that number for a minute (I won't charge you). This means that in one hour, I would spend $177 on telephone support. In one 8-hour shift, this would equate to $936!

So, I decided to set a time limit for myself and give this support a try. I dialed the number and a man with a clear Indian accent answered the support line. Now, mind you, this was during regular business hours in the United States. Let me also point out that I have nothing against anyone of any skin color, sex or sexual orientation, nationality, or religion from doing what they must do, not only survive, but to prosper in this world.

Anyway, I asked this individual where he was located. He responded with the name of a city that I did not recognize as being a major metropolitan area of the United States. So I asked what country he was in. He responded, "India." I thanked him for his time and ended the conversation. There was no way I was going to pay that kind of money to a company based in the United States, while they paid third-world wages to someone in another country.

I know I'm supposed to cite sources here, but I will not take the time to do that right now. I will simply state that I have heard sevaral accounts of the employees of American companies working in India making somewhere in the range of $2 per day. Over there, that provides a middle class lifestyle.

So, do we look at this wonderful American company and say, "Awww - look at that nice American company hiring those foreign workers and providing them with a nice life," all the while believing there is no one here that wants (or needs) the job? Or do we ask ourselves why we pay $2 a minute to a company who is paying someone $2 a day for providing us that service? Highway robbery, people!

I am going to start asking where the person on the other end of the phone works and sending letters of protest to the companies that are selling out the American ideal. Where does this stop? Do we stand idly by while our standard of living is eroded to the level of all the other countries in the world?

Who's with me on this? I know this is an international board, so I am sure I will be hearing from people of other nationalities. I can already imagine half of their arguments about how we are greedy and selfish and lack any sort of moral compass and get rich on the backs of their citizens. I will counter their arguments as they come. But make no mistake about it - I will argue as an American citizen that believes in taking care of my family, my country, and then (if I think they deserve it) the world.

Thank you for your time.

Sauce