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LaTigresse -> RE: Outsourcing Outrage Or Duh where did the jobs go? (2/1/2009 10:25:28 AM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: domiguy
Just what we need is to return to our failed isolationist policies of the past. The genie is out of the bottle and only the gullable or naive can suggest that there is a way to put it back. we live in a global economy, end of story. Our economy will go through some changes and dips while the rest of the world catches up. it can't and shouldn't be avoided.
Many of the ills we face today are based upon the inequities that exist globally. it is hard to find suicide bombers and "extremists" when one has hope as well as a certain comfort within their lifestyle.
I enjoy the benefits of a global economy. Why would I want to buy American? Their highly touted work force is a thing of the past. Those Americans are not as educated as many countries that they compete with. They are fat, lazy and have an overall poor work ethic. They tend to produce crap. Thanks, but no, i'll continue to shop abroad where my dollar is valued.
This post reflects part of a post I was formulating and will make an excellent jumping off point.
I am sick to death reading and listening to everyone blaming "them". If we are going to point fingers we had better be standing in front of a damned mirror. Start looking around our houses, and where items were manufactured and think about this sort of thing. Where was the dishes you ate off of today manufactured? The pans you cooked the food in? The packaging it came in, or the plastic ware it was kept in, while in the fridge? Where was the fridge, and all of it's parts made? The stove, the microwave, the coffee maker? The paper towels, silverware, glasses? The towels you used after your morning shower, all your toiletries, the clothes you put on after your shower, your shoes? All made in the USA by people making union wages with excellent health insurance, weeks of sick time and vacation pay? I seriously doubt it because my house isn't that way, nor anyone I know, including some of the most socially concious and green Prius driving types.
Why is that? Because we want what we want. We know that if we get our socks and undies, our computer, our television for the best price, we can have that really cool 42" flat screen tv instead of 32" 2001 Sharp model from 2001 that still works okay but isn't nearly as cool as that plasma. The reality is that if that 42" plasma tv was made in Detroit by people making $45.00 an hour, that were getting all the whistle and bells benefits, that work for a company paying hundreds or maybe thousands of retirees their pensions and agreed upon whistles and bells.....we probably could not afford it. So, our materialism and greed draws us to the equally cool, made in China model....just because we really want it and dammit we deserve it!!!
However, when we go to work, we are worth a fortune! We want a nice big fat paycheck, regardless of what we are doing, the skill level and education required to do that job, the difficulty or responsibility. We justify our demands by comparing our paycheck with the greedy CEO's pay checks and bonuses, and think "by god we deserve a slice of the pie too!" So we form a union to bully the company into giving into our demands, regardless of how rediculous, then cloak those demands in words of "fairness, protecting the little guy, etc etc etc...)
These same companies get pressured by greedy stockholders to maintain double digit growth every year so they hire over priced, over educated putzes and pay them unbelievable sign up bonuses to come and do a job a trained monkey could do. Which means cutting employees when times get tough, closing the most expensive production facilities, perhaps a move to a rural area with a cheaper workforce, like Alabama instead of Chicago, or..........if all else fails, Mexico so they can pay less wages, benefits, and worry less about EPA, and all the other issues they had to deal with in operating a manufacturing facility in Chicago IL. Voila'a big cuts, profit margins maintained, yeahhhh over priced CEO, the shareholders are happy. All the squeaky wheels greased.
Now, those emloyees that just lost those $45.00 hour jobs. Well, they were living the life, not saving as much as they should have, foolishly believing that what they had would always last instead of looking long term big picture. We're gonna get a pension, right?!? They bought the biggest house their mortgage lender would allow, because all American deserve a nice house in the burbs yanno! And the SUV, well that was the cool in car in the burbs and they could justify it to themselves by pretending it was safer for mom to drive the kids to soccer in. Never mind we really couldn't afford the payments of a 2 or 3 year loan, GMAC will now let you take up to 10 years to pay for it! Not that you would keep a car for10 years to actually pay it off, why that would be totally uncool to drive a 10 year old car!!! We will worry about that in a couple years when we decide to trade it in on the next cool "it" car. Not to mention the boats, the motorcycles, and all the other cool "must have" burb toys to keep up with the neighbours.
All hard working people deserve a vacation. No money in savings? No problem, just dig out the Mastercard or Visa! Life is too short, gotta live right! We will worry about paying for it later. Now we have to get new clothes for the vacation, more Visa action of course.
And on and on it goes...........
We all think we can somehow have a piece of the Trump lifestyle, regardless of whether or not we can afford it. Nevermind no one, especially a factory worker, needs a $300.00 Louis Vitton handbag......it doesn't stop people that shouldn't have it from buying it. We've convinced ourselves we can, should, and do.
Now we are paying the price for having our heads in the sand, for our greed and materialism. No one wants to be the one to make the sacrifices, to do without. Somehow we assume that there is a magic fix that will not mean a change in OUR personal life.
Wrong.......
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