[OLDNY]

I agree whole heartedly on that one John.

[Mac33]

In the UK we have lost most of our manufacturing industry like steel and shipping along with cars and most heavy industry to the Far East. It has become the norm to outsource as the labor costs are cheaper. For many years this created high unemployment in the UK, but now unemployement levels are very low, and other services like finance, insurance and banking have taken over as big money earners.

[OLDNY]

The same has happened over here Mac. Plus we have a very large agriculture business. However, a country as large as the US should not have to buy it's steel from Japan and it's brass fittings from Brazil or China. What happens if a real war breaks out? With no industrial base we are sitting ducks, especially for China. I fear for my grandsons when it comes to that giant coming of age. Our only hope is a clear headed government over there, and I hope our country continues to try to have better relations with them. Which our President has been doing, just like former Republican Presidents.

[Michaels]

that is ONE AND ONLY REASON Chinese economy has been growing, while US and EUROPE are going through economic hardship China and other Asia are having the moment in history.

PHILIPS CORP, the ''microsoft'' of HOLLAND has moved most of it's job to Asia at the expanse of indigineous OVERQUALIFIED staffs, and the politicians are still promising us a better days ahead

[Michaels]

michaelangels wrote

however, it will be difficult to see how the economy and job is improving while more coporations have outsourced jobs to asia and south america this time around than before

Is this true in your country?

Very much true ED, we are proudly holding on to DESIGNS and ADMINISTRATIVES works. while really jobs have left our shores very long time ago.

this is all in the name of cutting costs

[johnliscomb]

What burns me is that even the high end Research and Development work (holy grail of the Information Age) jobs are being outsourced too! The naysayers tell our designers and electrical engineers just to RETRAIN for a new job. Oh yeh? Where do you go from there!?!

I have no problem with any company opening up foreign offices to do whatever work for them. I would hope that said company would do it to give them a foothold in a new market (said country) rather than to close down sites in their native land to save a buck or two. Where is their patriotism? It makes me sick.

It wasn't too long ago that Phillips shut down a R&D fiber optics center here. The community was devastated to say the least.

[OLDNY]

Ever call you make to Dell Service goes right to India.

[Mac33]

Our directory enquiries in the UK also goes to India

[OLDNY]

What is boils down to is that a public company is in business to make money for its shareholders. Until those shareholders wise up and realize that in the name of profit, they are letting their country go to the dogs, there us no stopping this globalization.

[phileysmiley]

What is boils down to is that a public company is in business to make money for its shareholders. Until those shareholders wise up and realize that in the name of profit, they are letting their country go to the dogs, there us no stopping this globalization.

Exactly...was about to post LOL. We are all about capitalism here in the USA and the bottom line which is, just as OLDNY indicates, meant to satisfy the shareholders (if we are talking about a public company). The customers come second, unless their needs and buying habits take them elsewhere, and the losses begin to outstrip the profits that the company sees by staying the course. Only then will changes be made. This is, in fact, happening now at Dell and some other tech firms that had used call centers in India. A backlash began to occur, along with negative press (Consumer Reports, computer magazines), and they are beginning to backtrack, at least for some of their commercial clients.