Certainly you are right about the role of technology in taking jobs, and I do bear some responsibility for that. Often IT projects result in new capabiliites and therefore may not reduce headcount (or at least reduce it immediately), but we are moving to an economy where there are fewer jobs, especially at the bottom level of the earning spectrum. And that does increase the importance of education and of having the mental flexibility to recast yourself as the situation requires. Maybe what really bugs me about the outsourcing I am talking about is that it strikes directly at people who have worked to get an education and who have skills that are current. And the fact that we are outsourcing knowledge is a key issue for me, as I know it is for you too.

And you are right that not every company is mercenary. There are many companies that still do remember they are part of the living, breathing social fabric of this country and are lead by men and woman who honor that role. The ones that don’t often get the publicity but I am afraid that the latter group is growing and the former is shrinking. Things are getting increasingly inpersonal, to a great extent because of the extensive use of spin-speak as an acceptible form of English.

I also agree that government intervention is probably not a solution, although I would not be against some sort of tax on every job sent offshore, but I know that would be hard to monitor or enforce. All I really want is an increased awareness on the part of not just corporate leaders but people in general that we need to think broadly and do what is best for our society as a whole. Although I suppose if I really followed that advice myself I would buy a farm and start raising organic produce.

In the meantime, I’m going to think about that ‘How to raise your child’ idea. It could be huge and I really could use the cash.

I don’t know what the solution to all of this is but I also feel very nervous thinking that giving companies tax breaks is going to help. I would sooner believe I could teach my wife to turn off the lights when she leaves a room than that companies would take that saved tax money and reinvest it in people. I don’t believe it would spur hiring, it would instead end up in corporate bonus’.

This is a very complex issue and it makes me very sad that whatever the reason for it, we are fundamentally changing the face of America and not in a good way. And it makes me sad that corporate America is leading the charge in complete disregard of what is best for the country and even for themselves. It’s not just the government that is to blame. We need corporate leaders who consider people as people, not as ‘resources’ to be discarded when convenient.

Somewhere over the past 30 years we have accepted the fiction that somebody else can do a better job of doing stuff than we can, and so let’s outsource everything. Taken to an extreme, and in business we always do things to the extreme, we end up with companies that don’t do anything but coordinate the work of others. And if we were outsourceing to companies in our own town or state or country, that would be stupid, but it would be OK. But the current fad of sending the jobs out of our country

In the U.S., grocery store check-out clerks can make 40K or higher; Beer truck delivery men hold out for 60K or more. When this happens, white collar says “hey, I put in my 6 years of grad and post-grad, I want more too!” Then we price ourselves too high. Suddenly the U.S. has only 1 color collar and is trying to compete in a global economy with nations that still live the distinction.

Then came along the Political left’s class warfare and hate-Corporate America speech (still on a very successful campaign run with the highly paid CEO angle) and our high levels of taxation compared to other countries.

Then we have the runaway cost of Medical Care and other benefits driving up Payroll costs.

Finally the big one, Cap and Trade Legislation under the guise of man-made global warming. Imagine the outsourcing when energy costs in the U.S. are quadruple those in “developing” Nations who still have a pass to burn coal and wood?

So back to your point “But the current goal of every business in the U.S. is to eliminate anyone who is not making minimum wage or a little above, and to get rid of as many of those people as possible”……..I have to respectfully disagree and use the chicken-and-egg analogy; business outsourcing is reactionary to the changing conditions. I don’t know a single CEO who has a goal to get rid of anybody but I do know many who resort to outsourcing to survive.

So let’s reverse those conditions….lower Corporate tax rates, eliminate Capital gains taxes, re-establish a two-collar system without prejudice (in other words, if you drop out of high school you don’t get a sports car, nice house and all the fun electronics and you should not expect such), become energy independent (drill here now AND develop alternative energy).

Change the conditions, you change how business reacts. Continue on the same track as we have since the 70′s, keep playing the catch-up game and outsource, outsource, outsource.

Good blog, Dave.