'The man who wants to take your jobs'

[richb at pioneer.ci.net (Rich Braun)]

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