The price of globalization

International Herald Tribune ^ | January 10, 2004 | William Pfaff

[A. Pole]

The middle class needs to stay competitive and there is nothing wrong with that.

Before the value of dollar and cost of living goes down to the level comparable with China and India, Americans cannot be competitive in a "free" trade tariffless world.

[A. Pole]

I know many people that are being forced to retrain, or face starvation.

How are they going to PAY for retraining? What if they use their savings or go into debt to see their new skill to be outsourced?

What do you propose that someone should do that has 20 years experience and a degree but can not get a job in his/her profession?

Get some menial job and you will not starve.

[Thisiswhoweare]

Currency collapse before we become competitive - I agree. But when will we ever see a world without tariffs and statuatory barriers?

China and India don't allow American workers in without heavy restrictions, and the both of them have created serious trade barriers, tariffs and tax rebates to protect their own companies.

[blueriver]

How are they going to PAY for retraining? What if they use their savings or go into debt to see their new skill to be outsourced?

Sadly this is true.

Get some menial job and you will not starve.

You may not starve but you will be not able to support a family or pay rent, you will remain below the poverty line. Also, most employers will not hire a person with a masters degree to do a menial job because they think they are "over" qualified.

[A. Pole]

You may not starve but you will be not able to support a family or pay rent, you will remain below the poverty line.

If you have children, you might get food stamps and other assistance.

Also, most employers will not hire a person with a masters degree to do a menial job because they think they are "over" qualified.

Hide it. Get a different haircut, dress and learn to speak and act appriopriately. This maybe is the needed retraining. :)

[blueriver]

This maybe is the needed retraining.

Yes I guess we can all strive to get low wage menial work. Sure is a great future we have here.

[ninenot]

The FIRST thing to note about Ricardo is that his writings were well-known to the Marxist/Leninists. No surprise: Marx and Engels studied in London.

The SECOND thing to notice is that Ricardo's laws were not operative because of the restrictions of transportation--until recently.

The THIRD thing to notice is that the USA and Western Europe share a social justice system which, after some pain and agony, actually reflects moral imperatives regarding labor.

The FOURTH thing is that only multi-nationals are able to flout the moral imperatives by virtue of the fact that they are not constrained by Euro-American norms of social justice.

Hmmmmm.

[ninenot]

Please point to the "ever-expanding, 300 year old" middle class in countries EXCEPT the USA, England, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.

We have several days. Get the documentation and show us.

[ninenot]

Sorry, but the blather about "training" is smoke and mirrors. Very few firms train anybody these days. If they did, the IT types would not have to be cut--they could be re-trained.

But to retrain someone with 20 years' service means that you ALSO have to pay them for their time-in-grade. So they won't re-train them.

End of job.

[ninenot]

More jobs have been created here in the US by foreign auto makers... not because of the 40% rule but because of proportionately higher costs in the home country.

You can prove this, of course.

Good.

Prove it.

[EagleMamaMT]

Good post, A. Pole.

[EagleMamaMT]

Your tag line says it all.

[AmericanVictory]

If we globalize corruption and disrespect for any rule of law and regime of envorceable individual rights, does that expand liberty? The former USSR has been globalized. Is it moving toward more freedom or leass freedom?

When a western oil company built a pipeline in Myanmar with slave labor it globalized. Are the people of Myanmar freer as a result? the Europeans have globalized Castro's Cuba. Are people there freer as a result?

[ETERNAL WARMING]

Er...retrain for what??? Notice that they NEVER tell you WHAT. WHAT job is it that the elites do NOT intend to outsource or bring in millions of illegals..oops...I mean immigrant workers to fill?

These people are a joke and it's time we united and showed them all the door.

Shut the door in '04, Vote Tancredo.

[ETERNAL WARMING]

LOL Myth? What planet are YOU living on? The IRS stat from 2001 had half of all working Americans now paying into the lowest tax bracket! The middle bracket used to be the largest in number! That's an OLD stat. Since Bush took office and outsourcing boomed, I expect the number is now closer to 60%!

[ETERNAL WARMING]

Get some menial job and you will not starve.

...they won't hire us when they can get a brand new illegal alien to work for under the table wages.

[XBob]

34 - "By making it easier for capital to flow, it would appear as though it would flow entirely out of the country, and the problem is that this money is coming out of the pockets of the middle class, for it is they who are losing their jobs."

Seems like there is a similar problem with the states. They have 'spent' their 'cigarette bonanza' money, and people are quitting smoking because of the high cost of cigarettes, and now they are in financial trouble.

[XBob]

35-"Yes, but even government workers and those involved in distribution are subject to losing their jobs: "

Indiana outsourced it's new State program to prevent outsourcing job loss in Indiana, to a company in India.

New Jersey outsourced it's telephone 'unemployment' service to India.

[XBob]

38 - btttt:

"The end of globalisation is: no borders, no country, no individual ethnicities, no cultural pride (unless approved by the collective), no religion, no laws (unless approved by corporate management), no individual rights or freedoms (too pesky for corporate management). A handful of corporations will decide your physical and emotional needs and provide them in the most effective, profit motivated manner."

[XBob]

40 - "Good news is that given low tarriffs and multilateral trade agreements, the rising middle classes abroad will be in better shape to purchase goods and services from us. "

LOL - only after our salaries are lower than theirs. fool !!!