I'm reading Thomas Friedman's latest, The World is Flat, and I'm captivated. He discusses America's standing in the global marketplace of, particularly, science and technology. Granted, I'm only in the first chapter, but Friedman has already cited several vivid examples of outsourcing of American jobs. Radiologists overseas interpreting CAT scan and xray films at a fraction of the cost of what an organization would pay to keep a large staff of full-time radiologists on board. Call centers and software developers. Accountants. Even reporters. India's cost of living is significantly less, thus companies can easily afford to pay Indian employees a fraction of what they'd pay an American. You can see the temptation.
I'm among the first to flinch when people rant about buying only American-made products, and staunch patriotism makes me edgy.
However, I can't help but wonder (ahh, Ms. Bradshaw, you clever girl!) if the outsourcing of these jobs (aka. leveling of the international playing field) isn't bad for America. Are we rendering ourselves dependent on too many others? Already, our country is funded by oil money from the Saudis (I won't proclaim to be very knowledgable about this, but Fahrenheit 9/11 was convincing in its message on this issue), so by sending valuable jobs overseas, what are we doing to middle-class America?
You can't replace the face-to-face interaction, so we'll still need radiologists back home to meet with families to discuss a diagnosis or accountants to discuss investment or retirement options in the flesh.
But, by sending the "grunt work" elsewhere, what will happen to those without college educations? Or entry-level positions (aka. college grads with a liberal arts education!)? Will we turn into a society of two classes? Upper and lower?
If the world is becoming more and more flat, where does that leave the people in America's valleys?
...Scout's lady
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1 comment:
This is really interesting to think and talk about. I cannot say I have not done a lot of research or read a lot about this subject, but it definately interests me.
It does make me worry about people who have a harder time getting a job here in America, it seems like it should not be that way but I know it can. But I think what upsets me even more so is that jobs in other countires that could be had by Americans (but companies do not want to pay a minimum wage) but are being given to people in very poor countries who are getting paid crap and treated like crap as well. What is a solution to the problem here in America as well as the abuse in other countries?
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