The Return Of The Giant Sucking Sound

SFGATE.com (The SF Chronicle) ^ | 02/09/04 | Adam Sparks

[reluctantwarrior]

A conundrum how do millions of jobs get outsourced and the unemployment rate goes down to 5.6 112,000 jobs added and the IBD (a source more trustworthy than the DNC) puts the giant fart ina tornado at 330,000 jobs lost vice 2.3 million. Election year scare mongering isn't new but it really has become high political theater to scare the hell out of anybody willing to listen to this claptrap.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Suggest the author go out and buy two or three American cars.

[Clintonfatigued]

Good point.

[A. Pole]

Republicans are starting, albeit slowly, to take notice that it's the economy, and not Iraq, that is the electorate's primary concern. And it will take more than wishful thinking from conservatives and their free-trade prayer beads to right a sinking ship.

Do not miss it.

[Holden Magroin]

The giant sucking sound stopped when Bill Clinton zipped up his pants and left the Oval Office in January '01.

[A. Pole]

Prior to the enactment of the dreaded income tax, which began only in 1913, the government imposed very high tariffs, which were levied on imported goods throughout the nation's history from its beginnings in the 18th century through the end of the 1800s. These protectionist tariffs laid the groundwork for the American industrial revolution. The system worked.

The fact free traders want us to forget!

[Clintonfatigued]

There is an even bigger problem than the unions. American corporate executives are the biggest problem. They are drowning themselves in perks, payoffs and bonuses. They spend so much money on themselves that even in good years, the pressure is on to cut costs. If the executives are really concerned about the stockholders, they would outsource their own jobs overseas.

[reluctantwarrior]

Interesting screen name.....The point of the giant sucking sound was an interesting Perotism in '92 I think and it wasn't accurate 12 tears ago and is less so today. SFWarrior suggests that we engage in a Smmot Hawley tariff war with the world and since that directly led to the election of FDR and the depression of 29-32 I would vote for a pass on that course of action.

[jpsb]

Excellent article, points out that tariffs really are conservative and an integral part of what it used to mean to be a Rebublican.

[oceanview]

true enough, politically speaking that is. The Dems have no solutions here either, and would raise taxes to boot, for the Dems, this is only a "I feel your pain" issue, and nothing more.

[citizen]

I work in the civil engineering field. That means I work on highway, bridge and infrastructure projects let by federal, state and county governments. The work is accomplished by computer graphics and computer engineering packages.

How long before it becomes politically acceptable for government entities to contract with Indian and Asian engineering firms to perform this work?

Right now, the political climate demands retaining these government funded public works projects for American engineering firms. Eventually, will a perceived greater public interest favor using taxpayer money to hire cheaper labor abroad?

[eskimo]

Something certainly has to be done, but it's a real question whether it can be done with the country divided in two by our political parties.

The Dem/GOP political opportunists seem united in one respect. They seem determined to maintain their unthinking minions at equal proportions and stalemated. It is becoming so obvious that every act of the federal soap opera is scripted to this end.

[jpsb]

It is not ironic, our policies are forcing employers to out scource. Out source or go out of business, what would you do?

[Euro-American Scum]

Their isn't enough Americans in our science and technology graduate schools.

There isn't enough Americans in our science and technology graduate schools because they are not allowed in. Take a look at any engineering or computer science department at any of the Cal State, UC or private university in this state and tell me if you hear the English language spoken. Call a UC extension program and just try to enroll in a high tech course when you don't have an H1-B or L-1 visa -- which they now ask for -- and then listen to the silence on the line before they tell you they're not equipped to process your application at this time.

The low paid manufacturing jobs are filled by illegal.

The payoff for having aborted our way to prosperity in the 70s and 80s. Those millions of aborted fetuses would now be the 20-somethings who would be manning the very jobs now taken by illegals.

Sadly, we may have to have another recession to get the message. I hope not.

Sadly, another recession will not matter to the multi-national mega-corporations whose market is world-wide. And there are plenty of bright young people out there who could do the high tech work and are not unwilling to get their hands dirty in the fields or on the assembly lines. They don't even get the chance anymore.

Carly Fiorina -- CEO of Hewlett Packard -- glibly announced to the world that Americans don't have any right to jobs, or anything else for that matter. And nobody paid any mind to it.

I just wonder what the dead Americans who fell to defend the country over the last two centuries would think about Ms. Fiorina's opinions about what rights Americans don't have.

[templar]

Remember the white collar jobs were supposed to replace those industrial factory jobs that were already closing due to outsourcing and no one cared about.

No leading politicians cared about. I've been worried (vocally and loudly) about this and the long range implications for many years. Still don't find all that many people who agree with me that it is a serious problem, even on FR.

[sfwarrior]

I'm not suggesting Smoot Harley, which incidentally was passed after the Great Depression began. Secondly, how do you explain your free market mantra to the folks at fly over country? Let them know a good shoe shining job is just around the corner? Wake up.

[lawgirl]

Manufacturing jobs have long since vanished because companies have established factories overseas or have simply outsourced the production, contracting with existing overseas companies.

Why? because the unions have established a sense of entitlement and have held american companies hostage. While this is a crisis it's no mystery.

[NRA2BFree]

There is an even bigger problem than the unions. American corporate executives are the biggest problem. They are drowning themselves in perks, payoffs and bonuses. They spend so much money on themselves that even in good years, the pressure is on to cut costs. If the executives are really concerned about the stockholders, they would outsource their own jobs overseas.

I agree that the CEO'S have been costing their companies millions. I'm sure if their companies are located in another country that it will enable them to continue doing so without being hassled by our government. I wish our congresscritters would outsource their jobs to India as well. They are totally worthless, IMO.

.

[sfwarrior]

It'll take time to make some FRers and Republicans to understand that conservativism and protectionism is not any oxymoron.