These kinds of anecdotal stories are interesting, but indicate nothing other than the fact that there is turmoil and change in the business world. So when has this ever been any different?
What happened to the employees of the candle-makers, the buggy-whip companies, and the astrologers? Oh, wait, they're still here, but in fewer numbers.
The issue is not the individual US worker; rather, it is the negative effect of such policy on maintaining America's technological lead.
Why should anyone to technical degree, given the situation discussed here? Long-term, that's a problem.
"What happened to the employees of the candle-makers, the buggy-whip companies, and the astrologers? Oh, wait, they're still here, but in fewer numbers."
Apples and oranges. Buggywhips were no longer needed. Their use no longer existed. No on uses buggywhips anymore
The output of these outsourced jobs is still VERY MUCH a part of the economy.
Most of them eagerly moved into the electric companies and the automobile factories where wages were better --- but it's not exactly the same thing when the jobs aren't replaced by better jobs but sent out of the country.
Get real. The computer industry was targeted by greedy US manufacturers along with the people they pay off in the Congress. As a direct result something like 1 million Indian and Chinese programmers were brought into the USA. Many on contracts that cost companies 1/2 the prevailing wage. I worked at such a company. One day managers were told "you need to use Tata (Indian consultants) for all new hires. I talked to the Tatas. They lived in company provided apartments, 4 employees to one apartment. They were paid a stipend for living expenses and a flat fee for completing their contract of something like $50,000 on return to India (for two years).
What's your job? It is hard to imagine any profession that could withstand a targeted program like that. Health Care costs have certainly NOT gone in the direction of computing costs, which have been 10x cheaper every few years for 20 years. Why not bring in 1,000,000 Indian doctors? Pay them 1/2 to 1/3 the prevailing wage. Put them on contracts. Five years in a clinic, a $200,000 fee when they return home. (Sure, their M.D. degrees won't be as rigorous as the US ones, but then neither are all the Indian "Ph.D.s" in computer science.)
And no, I have never been laid off. So I have nothing to be personally upset about, so don't start with the "you can't hack competition" crap. I have withstood all this and am prospering, but it doesn't make it right, it doesn't make it good for the USA. The Indians are tools of greed heads like Scott McNealy and the other Silicon Valley zillionaires who lobbied and paid for this program. Now they are just sending the entire offices over there.
5 - "What happened to the employees of the candle-makers, the buggy-whip companies, and the astrologers? Oh, wait, they're still here, but in fewer numbers"
Well, let's just outsource your job too, it's obsolete.