[Beck_isright]

"The fact that we're using taxpayers' money to ship somebody's job overseas, I don't think that's a good thing."

The day that I thought I would ever agree with Dodd about anything has arrived. I can not believe that the American people will buy his tripe as he has profited from the outsourcing craze.

[neutrino]

People vote based on their pocketbook. Please recall that Ronald Reagan used the question "Are you better off now than you were four years ago?" to win an election. We face a real risk that the Rats will pose precisely that question this time, and the consequences may be distressing.

The free trade claque can prattle endlessly about the benefits of shipping American jobs to China - but they forget that those out of work Americans vote. It is time to end the free trade nonsense and put Americans back to work, lest the many gains we've made all get lost.

[RinaseaofDs]

Believe it. I've been saying this for almost a year now: Bush is going to lose over outsourcing if he is going to lose at all.

What is most amusing about this: What makes businesses in the US uncompetitive is the burden the state, federal, county, and cities are putting on them to stay in business.

Rather than admitting they were wrong, these idiots allow US companies to build plants overseas, where they don't have any such tax or regulatory burden.

This is the best part though - let's say some Sunni with a kilo of plutonium wires it up and blows your plant into small particles of radioactive dust: Guess what? It's all insured by the USA government. Uncle Sam will build IBM a brand new call center in Bangalore at no charge to them.

And you paid for it.

[lainde]

bttt

[No.6]

This thread is too much fun. Can I play?

I work at a middle-sized company where I've been for 8 years. Over Bush's term I've refinanced my mortgage so that I've cut 7 years off the repayment schedule, made the last payment on a car, and am about to pay off my HDTV with some to spare thanks to much lower tax rates. That's one income, with family. No DINK scenario here; good old traditional single-worker with Mom raising kid. Of course that meant NOT racking up tons of debt buying stupid things, home cooking and not restaurants, and not trading in cars every three years to follow the latest vehicular fashion trend, but I don't feel any loss there.

If we'd had Gore, over the last couple years my taxes would have been the same or higher as before 2001, interest rates would be high (and therefore inflation too), I wouldn't have refinanced and would never have had the money for the HDTV at all. That is assuming Gore's wuss response to 9/11 didn't encourage Al-Q and others to strike again, and again ... wait, but you guys want Kerry, who is somewhere left of Swimmy Ted Kennedy, and that'll fix it? I thought this URL started with www.freer... and not www.democ....

As an IT worker, I know that a bunch of short-sighted managers are seeking the quick fix over in India or China right now. Already some are reaping the benefits. An English bank just got burned for many millions by outsourcing to an Indian firm who was bribed by criminals to wire customers' money away. Ooops. Just wait till big projects come back from India over budget, over due, and wrong. Do you think they'll hire Dinesh or Bhattacharawamanan to fix it? No, they're going to panic and haul everything right back home to people they can see face to face and who communicate in clear American English. There are obviously many honest and skilled Indians and they'll prosper, but so will we.

If I'm wrong and my job's next I'm not a single-skill automaton, if IT jobs are gone I'll do one of a pile of other things I know how to do, or start my own business.

The HDTV? Made in USA, for Panasonic. Must be a myth, though, to hear some speak.

[EagleMamaMT]

Read later.

[Greenpees]

I've read almost every post on this topic.

I hate to say this, because generally I respect my fellow Freepers, but there are an immense number of babies on this thread.

The unemployment rate is 5.6%. That is a historical number for full employment. I spent 20 years in the Navy, and just got out, then quickly came into a good job. I know it's my story, not that of many others, but I'm also not expecting a windfall because of an IT title that was bound to come down to earth at some point.

If you'd like me to say "I feel your pain" I can't. Get reeducated, or use your management skills in another field. Whatever you do, stop your damned whining and blaming Bush for all your ills. You start to sound like a bunch of selfish democrats after awhile!

Your the best advertisement for John F'in Kerry that ever walked, and your gonna make him the next president of the US if you don't start taking responsibility for your own damned choices in life.

Sorry for the tirade, but some of you damned well need it!

[TXBSAFH]

People are scared and angry about this. That is a dangerious combination in an election year.

[Windsong]

"I was an IT manager"

Change fields. Retrain. Go back to college. There are tons of jobs for those that aren't insisting on making more than 40,000 a yr.

[familyofman]

If an out-sourced, unemployed man cries in the forrest - does anyone hear the sound?