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'The man who wants to take your jobs'



Rich,
         You are wrong about America - we still lead technical 
innovation.  The PC is not and basic coding are not special, although they 
keep people employed.  In regards to America welcoming immigrants is also 
wrong.  Everyone who has ever come to this country has been discriminated 
against and had a tough time getting going.  The Irish, Italians, Japanese, 
Chinese, folks from the Middle East, etc...  As self centered as it may 
sound politicians do have a responsibility to help those that are here try 
to make it better for themselves especially in global economy where as 
Americans they will not be accepted elsewhere.

Food for thought,
Anthony

At 09:54 AM 3/27/2004 -0500, you wrote:
>Gina Minks <g.minks at verizon.net> wrote:
> > One thing that is left out of the entire outsourcing conversation is the
> > temporary visa situation. US companies have access to an unlimited 
> number of
> > immigrants from other countries who work for a fraction of what US workers
> > cost. They get paid those wages while working here in the US.
>
>A few days ago, I spotted a bumper sticker that said "America: Nation of
>Immigrants" (with the word America in a large font).  It reminded me of what I
>think is great about America and about Boston in particular:  people are drawn
>to this place from all over the world.  The melting pot of people and ideas
>has made Boston a dynamic place and driven its economy for centuries.
>
>Putting it into perspective, this is the way America has always been.  The
>difference now is that America may no longer have the lead in technological
>innovation that it has had since Germany ceded this role about 100 years ago.
>Innovation can happen anywhere by anyone with access to the global telecom
>grid. What country will replace America?  I think innovation will be
>distributed globally, rather than be dominated by a single country--and it
>will be controlled by a handful of big corporations beyond the reach of
>governmental restrictions.
>
> > Then you have American workers that are lucky to have jobs, and they 
> act that
> > way. Don't make waves, do whatever they tell you to do so your name doesn't
> > come up during the layoff decision meetings.
>
>Replace the word "American" with "global" and you have a more accurate
>picture.  This phenomenon is not confined to the USA.  I'll summarize two
>myths which I see distorting the debate:
>
>(1) American workers are better than but more expensive than their overseas
>counterparts;
>(2) Corporations care only about the wages they must pay, not about quality of
>workers.
>
>I believe that (almost) anyone anywhere can become good at whatever they
>pursue.  Kids are encouraged by their cultural peers to pursue certain
>occupations:  in the USA you can find immigrant specialists in a variety of
>disciplines (by this I mean people like Irish plasterers, Filipino nurses,
>Brazilian carpenters, Indian software developers, and so on--they are taught
>at age 8 to pursue and master these occupations).  Anyone who starts out at a
>young age and knows exactly what to do is likely to be "better than" a
>dilettante who picks it up later in life.
>
>I have also noticed a difference in motivation among groups of people.  Some
>have a sense of entitlement and watch the clock: they can't wait until the
>clock strikes 5 so they can leave, and they badger the boss about
>vacation-time policies.  Others dive in and generate a lot more results,
>without demanding exceptions to their regular work hours; they are internally
>driven to succeed.  Few 1st and 2nd generation immigrants whom I've met fall
>into the former category.
>
>Regarding the attitude of corporations:  it's too bad Americans so often make
>the argument that overseas workers are clearly inferior and hence that
>companies must only care about the price and quantity of work they can get
>from those overseas workers.  Ask yourself if you really believe that.  If you
>were the boss, is this what you would do?  It doesn't really make any sense.
>Suppose the overseas people are *better* educated and more *highly* motivated
>than their peers in the USA?  Isn't it possible (likely) that corporate
>managers are being pulled overseas to take advantage of
>high-skilled/high-motivated workforces that have developed there over the past
>couple of generations?
>
>This is what Americans are up against, I think.  It's a far greater threat to
>livelihoods than most people here believe.  The overall number of jobs in the
>world is not growing the way it once did (might even be shrinking), and the
>number allotted to Americans is declining not because of ignorant corporate
>attitudes, but because Americans are plain-and-simple losing to the
>competition.  It's important for everyone to be the best they can be.
>
>The failure here in America is one of cultural and economic leadership.  It
>starts with education at a young age.  It continues with career motivation,
>discipline, and commitment.
>
>Today I find myself preferring to hire immigrants (construction workers) not
>because they are cheaper, but because they get the job done better and they
>show up when I need them.  This experience leads me to believe that my peers
>in the IT field are facing the same issue in their own hiring decisions.
>
>-rich
>
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