As a recent LSU Computer Science grad who is not able to find a good job in the field, my biggest issue in this next election is what is to be done about outsourcing jobs. My vote will probably go to the candidate who seems most likely to try to stop this outsourcing, or at least severly penalize companies who take jobs away from Americans. What I would like to hear are thoughts from Democrates, Republicans or any one who doesn't vote party lines on what your party/candidate will do about it, or just what should be done regardless of what candidate you back.
since america is a free country, companies should be free to hire anyone anywhere, even if the person is neither you nor american.
So, you believe that it's perfectly fine for American companies lay off American workers and underpay foreign workers, solely for the purpose of cutting costs? So it's okay to not hire American workers unless they want to work for minimum wage at a job that requires a college education, while you are sitting with student loans to be repayed? I'm going to assume you are not in an industry that is being cut back, otherwise I believe your views might be a little different. It's very frustrating to be coming right out of college and not being able to get a job because you are competing with 30+ year old workers who were recently laid off and in desperate need of work because they have a family to support. You are not able to compete because they have 10 years experience on you.
This is definitely a problem that will have to be addressed and solved in the next 4 (nearly 5) years of Bush's tenure. We must re-evaluate and change our trade deals (NAFTA among many others) and also our tax policy to avoid businesses from looking abroad for employees.
I agree with the statement that this is an issue that has to be dealt with in the next 4 years of Bush's tenure (assuming he gets re-elected, which is not a guarantee), but my question is, why hasn't something been done yet? He's been in office for 3 years now, what gives me hope he will turn around and do something about it if he hasn't already. I don't know if John Kerry could do any better, but whichever candidate I get the best vibe from by the time elections come around will be who gets my vote.
I would agree. Lower costs can also mean lower prices for the almost 300 million consumers in this country. It can also mean more choice for consumers, because these companies may have gotten out of this business if they did not find a way to compete. Just like with cars, I wanted the best car to fit my needs for the lowest amount of money needed to meet my needs regardless of where it is made. I have one made in the US and one made in Japan by picking what was best for me and my family. Same thing with my two notebooks, which if they were made in the US I probably would only have been able to have one (at least for awhile) even though I need two - one for work and one for family (and a little for wife's work). As citizens, any who disagrees with these companies can chose to boycott them or put some kind of economic pressure on them if they can, but we have to much government involvement already in our supposedly free market economy. If someone made a good case for National Security issues in regards to outsourcing certain technology or whatever I would be more willing to agree. Otherwise I say let the businesses and markets decide one way or the other what they need to do to compete, make money, keep customers, and hopefully lower the costs while maintaining or raising the quality of their products to all of us consumers. If that means stay in the US then stay. If that means they have to outsource then that is what they have to do.
yes. you should neve force a company to hire american if they would rather hire somebody else. correct. it is okay to hire or not hire whomever you want, for ay reason you want. thats the idea of private corporations, they are owned by their owners, not the collective. therefore there are free to manage themselves, even if that means you are not hired. because you want to be hired does not mean my tax dollars should go to making and enforcing laws to force people who own companies to hire you.
Darkhornet, I wouldn't wait on any cure for your problem coming from the government anytime soon. But, in a free-market economy you are in a good position to take advantage of the situation and control your own destiny. An expensive American programmer cannot compete with a lower-cost Indian programmer in these days of internet and overnight mail. You won't find an entry-level job with the pay you want. It just won't happen again. Things have changed. But you could become an independent contractor for programming services and outsource it to those same cheap Asian programmers . . and make a healthy override on each job. Take advantage of the situation and get ahead of the technology/labor pool curve. Don't trail it because yesterday's market is never coming back. America is becoming a workforce of skilled managers, administrators, and creators. The labor pool, even for high-tech skills, is going overseas. In this manner our economy can keep growing for there are profits to be made. Instead of programming for a living, a young man's best bet for sucess in America might be to be managing 50 Chinese programmers. And getting rich in the process.
We are on an economic experiment in this country. Can a country survive that makes nothing? Can an economy survive that, in the words of Tom Wolfe, is a psychological experience economy, thrive and provide the basic necessities for its people? I tend to doubt that the experiment will work, but certainly don't place whatever *blame* there is on any one politician or political party.
I would think that all of you who agree with outsourcing and such are also in agreement that there should be no minimum wage, paid holidays and paid vacations or paid health care for workers.
