Today in my Foreign Policy class, we approached the topic of outsourcing jobs. I have a lot to say on the subject, thus I left the class angry and with inspiration for this post. I personally believe that outsourcing jobs has everything to do with profits over people.
These companies and corporations move overseas and to Mexico because they do not have to provide their workers with benefits--including a living wage. It is only in the interest of profit. Nothing more. It has nothing to do with the fact that these workers may be harder workers or that the foreign country has natural resources that are more equipped for that industry. It is so that the heads of the corporations can make more money.
This comes at the expense of the middle class. Outsourcing destroys the middle class. Without these manufacturing jobs, Americans are stuck with two options: be wealthy or be a part of this service economy that serves the wealthy. And do not think for a moment that these people in the service economy can somehow become wealthy. Generally speaking, they cannot afford the education that will get them the jobs that could lead to wealth. Which should not be the case, but that is a subject for another time.
One of my classmates argued the point that the issue is not all black and white. His point was that corporations do not have to be socially responsible, because profit is the motivation for business, and that a lot of upper-middle class individuals may own stocks in these corporations and they will benefit from moves overseas.
Corporations do not have to be socially responsible? This notion is completely reprehensible to me. I cannot comprehend how corporations should have the right to pay their employees the least possible wage and not provide benefits so they can make a profit. If the company's trade is really that great, it will make plenty of profit while allowing the workers a decent living. But, I suppose greed is the American way.
As far as the stock issue goes, who will be hurt more by this? The people who do not make extra money on stocks because the company remains in America? Or the person who lost his job to someone in another country because the company and stock holders need to make more money? Both the stock holders and corporate heads will have a more than adequate living if the company stayed in this country. The worker will not have such a great living should his or her job be taken away so a rich person can get richer.
I admit that I am extremely biased. My father has one of these manufacturing jobs. While my family is far from wealthy, there is always food on our table, a roof over our heads that met building codes, insurance to allow us proper health care and every other basic necessity has been met. There were never a lot of extra and extravangant things while I was growing up, but all of our basic needs were met. If his job were to get shipped overseas, my family would economically fall apart while the CEO could buy another mansion in Europe. I think food and shelter are much more important than another mansion.
That is the problem with America and the world today. It clearly favours profit and greed over people and cooperation. I wish people would just see that the opposite holds true. People over profits!
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2 comments:
There IS something you can do to slow down the progress of this Over Seas Revolution.
Do not patronize these businesses.
There was a time in the 80's and 90's that the USA had decided to allow foreign companies to purchase an obscene amount of business property right here in the US. These foreign companies came in thinking they were going to take over the US market by storm and not merely dine at the table of U.S. wealth, but to sit at the head of said table.
You don't hear much about these companies lately. And do you know why? Because they went belly up. And that property they purchased? Well, most were purchased back by US companies at an obscenely low price because those companies are HERE and the prior owners of those companies held no leverage being so far away.
It's just business. The tide changes every few years. For the longest time it has been the business owners who held the cards. They could hire or not hire whomever they choose.
But now, this country - the world is in a recession. So at the moment, NOBODY really holds the cards unless you are a consumer.(Hence the stimulus checks on their way to a post office box near you!).
The best move any of us can make right now is to aim toward a career that is not expendable. That, and to cut expenses wherever possible and save the difference for a rainy day.
And another thing to keep in mind is that a lot of these corporations are credit card companies and debt collection agencies and the jobs that are farmed out over seas are the shit jobs no one wants to do here. They are in an earlier time zone and get better phone rates to call you up and horribly mispronounce your name and ask you to pay your debt or to take advantage of the greatest credit card rate available.
Easy solution there - eliminate debt and never own a credit card!
We'll have to discuss this over a bottle of wine some time! Domestic or imported! :)
Hugs,
Aunt Bren
You wrote:
"...I personally believe that outsourcing jobs has everything to do with profits over people."
You are absolutely correct. That's business. Is it "fair"? Nope, but not even God said things were going to be "fair".
...I cannot comprehend how corporations should have the right to pay their employees the least possible wage and not provide benefits so they can make a profit."
How much do you want to pay for a hamburger?
"...Americans are stuck with two options: be wealthy or be a part of this service economy that serves the wealthy."
All economies are "service economies".
"....they cannot afford the education that will get them the jobs that could lead to wealth."
I personally know 3 millionaires and not one has more than a High school diploma. In fact 2 were drop-outs. Education does not necessarily guarantee anything, ambition does. You will never get rich working for someone else.
"...While my family is far from wealthy, there is always food on our table, a roof over our heads that met building codes, insurance to allow us proper health care and every other basic necessity has been met."
To the guy in China making the computer you're using to write this blog, YOU are the wealthy one. That 13 cent an hour job at the factory just might have pulled his family and himself UP from misery into simple poverty. Compared to 90% of the world, we are mind-bogglingly rich.
"....That is the problem with America and the world today."
Not today, always. It's just the way it is and nothing anyone can do will ever stop it from being that way.
"..It clearly favours profit and greed over people and cooperation.."
How many people does it take to make the pizza you deliver? Literally thousands if you think about it. Farmers, manufacturers, autoworkers, truck drivers, rail workers, miners, engineers of all stripes, professors, soldiers, sailors, computer programmers... the list goes on and on if you really think about it. And ALL of them cooperated so that I can have a hot, yummy pizza delivered to my door so that I don't have to do everything myself!
I am not talking down to you or anything! You just have to really think about things instead of "feeling". Nothing happens in a vacuum! It's a big, beautiful world out there and we live in a great and wondrous time! One just has to have eyes to see.
Come over for wine, my dear, as Aunt Bren says! We simply MUST talk more about this!
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