India Takes Economic Spotlight, and Critics Are Unkind

The New York Times ^ | March 7, 2004 | AMY WALDMAN

[AM2000]

ping

[Brimack34]

Why does it take white collars to get attention. We blue collars never get this much press.

[vp_cal]

bookmarked

[AM2000]

You sure about that? I'm only 28 and started paying attention to this stuff no more than 8-10 years ago, but I seem to recall hearing quite a lot about manufacturing jobs being sent over to the maquiladoras in Mexico and the giant sucking sound and all that... I think you jsut don't hear about blue collar jobs anymore (as much) cuz that's "old news" - this white collar thing is the new game in town :-)

[NRA2BFree]

If you're going to talk about competition, you should have no fear — may the best man win."

They didn't get these jobs through competition, they got them because they prostituted their skills for low wages to greedy American corporations. Losing jobs to people who are more qualified is one thing, but when a company shuts their doors in America and moves off to India, competition is NOT in the equation.

[NRA2BFree]

I think you just don't hear about blue collar jobs anymore (as much) cuz that's "old news"

Maybe it's because they're all gone.

[AM2000]

They didn't get these jobs through competition, they got them because they prostituted their skills for low wages to greedy American corporations.

That's an unfair statement. The wages these Indian employees get are actually quite high for the Indian labor market. That's why you have Indian MBA's clamoring for telemarketer positions with U.S. based multinationals! As for greedy American corporations - I can't say you don't have a point, but I will say this... if some of them do it, they all have to do it, just to stay competitive.

[AM2000]

They're not all gone. There's a mill somewhere that still employs somebody ;-)

[Brimack34]

I agree but it seems to be more political now that the whites have been hit.

[DustyMoment]

Bush has responded to the clamor about outsourcing by challenging American white-collar workers who have lost their jobs to "be more innovative".

Here's a thought, Prez, why don't you challenge the indians to "be more innovative" and develop their own industries so we can keep our jobs here? If, by developing their own industries they can legitimately take business away from American corporations, so be it. But, they should have to work for it, not have it handed to them.

This trend of "globalization" is just another form of wealth redistribution by corporate America as we are lead toward One World Government.

Future interstellar travelers to Earth will be greeted by the following sign: Welcome to Planet Earth. We're sorry that no one is here to greet you. We have gone to Mars in search of work. Enjoy your visit and tell all of your friends about Planet Earth. Have a good day.

[NRA2BFree]

They're not all gone. There's a mill somewhere that still employs somebody ;-)

Shhhhhh, don't let them hear you, or they'll sneak those jobs right off to India. ;)

[lelio]

Why does it take white collars to get attention.

I was cognizant of the issues in offshoring in manufacturing -- however there was always room for advancement in the blue collar realm. Step up to being a skilled machinist, or the shop foreman. Or send your kids to school to become an engineer.

But where do the white collars have to go after their professions have been offshored? Graduate to being a WalMart greeter?

The people really getting screwed in this are the blue collars that sent their kids to college and now see their jobs being offshored to countries that have 10% of our cost of living.

[AM2000]

But, they should have to work for it, not have it handed to them.

Do you actually think Corporate America is going to hand over anything to anyone? They're sending jobs to India because the people in India work for less, the cost benefits of which offset any possible loss in productivity. The Indians are, in other words, working for what they're getting. They're playing by the rules our government has agreed to play by. The real crux of the matter, IMHO, is that the rules agreed to by our government look after the interests of our corporations but not our people. For example, if it's so darn easy to move capital and jobs to India and China and Ireland, shouldn't it be as easy for labor to move too? Whether we'd like to or not, we should certainly have the option to do so. But while barriers for capital and jobs have been broken down through trade treaties, barriers to labor remain. The capital can move away but we're not allowed to go after it. In other words, our own elected representatives have handicapped us in this globalized workplace since they've allowed our jobs to go overseas and overseas workers to come here and take our jobs, but they haven't pushed foreign governments to allow us to chase the jobs or even the capital. Heck, at the very least, I'd like the opportunity to invest in Indian markets with the same independence of an Indian investor. But I'm not allowed to.

[Nateman]

Its amazing how callous and selfish the posts I see above. All we can worry about is some American
losing cozy jobs. Life in India is brutal, harsh and short. Decades of socialism have reduced them to
such a low standard of living that their slums and poverty are examples to the rest of the world of just
how bad things can get. Its become a cliché to have the charities of the world film is some germ
ridden spot in India and ask for your money to help. Now when these poor people who live in such
abject misery have a chance to earn a decent living doing honest work, without any kind of
government handout , we ignore their plight and worry instead that we won't be able to afford getting
coffee at Starbucks anymore. This from the very same people who are moved by the example of
Jesus suffering on our behalf in "The passion of Jesus Christ". Would Jesus be so blind to the plight of
India as we have been!

[AM2000]

Most men will yell in pain when kicked in the stomach. That's just how it is.

[superloser]

My complaint about India is a simple one.

They expect "free trade" from us and for American companies to continue sending work over there.

At the same time, they keep a very stiff protectionist barrier in place.

Can't have it both ways.

My opinion: Either they drop their walls or we should cut them off. No double-standards.

[Bombay Bloke]

Yeah, but if we want them to drop their tariff barriers on agriculture - the industry most Indians work in - they can expect us to drop our massive agricultural subsidies first. Free trade should mean free trade.

[Cronos]

Losing jobs to people who are more qualified is one thing, but when a company shuts their doors in America and moves off to India, competition is NOT in the equation.

Not really: When Wal-Mart sells more than other stores their USP: the cheapest store, works. That doesn't mean that the expensive quality stores go out of business, it means that the other stores that have a USP of cheapness have to compete with Wal-mart. Ditto here, the best professionals will still get high paying salaries, but it won't be an industry for schmoos that get a 2 week course on idiots guide to programming.

[Cronos]

But where do the white collars have to go after their professions have been offshored? Graduate to being a WalMart greeter?

The good ones won't lose their jobs. THe good desginers, programmers etc. will always be worth it and they will survive. BUt the ones who just rode the wave in the 90s with little or no programming skills will be left by the wayside -- and those are the ones making the biggest noise -- because they want mediocrity to pay as well as it used to. Well, sorry, it won't, the bubble is gone and the supply is not so far below demand as it used to be.