Neither, they played the game the best they could, given the rules of the marketplace.
If they didn't go off-shore, their competition would have and run them out of business. Whoever off-shores first has an immediate and significant cost advantage.
The decision to off-shore is bad for America, but so is going out of business, which is the choice firms are presented with.
International trade is one of those areas where you really need government involved and good governmental policy.
It's not unlike hiring illegals. If the law is not enforced and your competition hires illegals, then you don't have much choice but to do likewise or go out of business. Only with international trade, they are playing within the rules. The rules just aren't in America's favor and we need to change them.
The rules just aren’t in America’s favor and we need to change them.
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This is it. So much of the rule making these days don’t seem to favor the American people. Its as if our leaders have become colonial elites—that is colonized elites like the British and French employed in the 19th century to run their possessions in Africa and Asia.