Bringing Jobs Back Onshore - USA

[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

[Henry-Finland]

Hi!

I gave You a longer answer in http://www.volconvo.com/forums/index.php?s...=75&#entry14326

But I don't know, maybe we should discuss the matter here. Or how do You think?

Henry

[SVMc]

That's a really hard question to answer unless you are an American "patriot" who really believes in American isolationism. The fact is that the international community depends on American companies outsourcing jobs and importing products. Lets face it Canada would become a third world nation almost over night if the U.S. stopped all trade with us. Our beef industry is definately in shambles. I know you didn't originally post about trade but it pertains.

There is a video "Mickey Mouse Goes to Haiti". In the video like many videos documenting Maquila zone work, the people ask for better wages, bathroom allowances, sick days, shorter working hours, health codes etc... etc... but few will be shown on camera for fear of loosing the jobs and many beg the Disney company to stay in Haiti because things were "worse" before they came. Outsourcing has been a large contributor to the race to the bottom for majority world (read: developing world) countries.

The solution to American unemployment and raising the standard of living of the worlds most vulnerable is not to cut the jobs from the world and induce American isolationism. This would be like saying "immigrants are taking all our jobs.... we should kick them all out" when statistics usually prove the exact opposite, immigrants are a large source of employment or they take the jobs most of the rest of domestic society is largely unwilling to take.

I demand accountability from foreign companies, but will not cut them out becaue they do not create direct employment in my home country. For instance I buy fair trade coffee and clothing, but I largely buy home grown organic locally produced food, this will not stop me from buying food from overseas co-ops.

[Leopard]

sheesh - gotta love the semantics:

'taking' jobs, or 'stealing' jobs - just say the truth - other people are OUT-COMPETING our labor for jobs. Our only xaving grace thus far has been in our productivity... but foreign labor is getting better in that regard also.

Buck up, Mr. Lazy american - we got a job to do and the fact that we have the most powerful military will not prevent us from falling into economic ruin because we seem to expect a well-paying job as some kind of 'right' - it is not, it is a privilege, to both employer and employee, but american employees do not have respect anymore. Hell is what we make it folks.

michael

BTW: you all probably believe that the government can 'create' jobs too, right? hahahahaaaaa