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Posted by Kris Krieger on March 16, 2008, 11:17 pm
>
>> :
>>
>>>>
>>>> I know someone who pecializes in taking biotech pharmaceutical
>>>> research projects from small-scale lab experiments, through testing
>>>> and into bulk production. A lot fo the work is outsoruced because
>>>> it's very difficutl to find US comapnies who are competent or can
>>>> even stick to their own schedules. A large part of the problem is
>>>> that US people simply don't receive the sort of rigorous education
>>>> that teaches one to (1) think scientifically, (2) comprehend the
>>>> fact that schedulaes exist for a reason and need to be followed,
>>>> (3) comprehend the fact that whiney excuses are *not* an acceptable
>>>> substitute for doing the work one was hired to do.
>>>>
>>>> Maybe other people have different experiences, that's just the
>>>> experience of soemone who manges the production of pharmaceuticals.
>>>> OTOH, given what I observe in general, I've no reason to think it's
>>>> an isolated experience. In some cases, it's merely a matter of
>>>> seeking larger personal profit for upper management, but in other
>>>> cases, it's a far deeper problem. IOW, so, yes, outsourcing sends
>>>> jobs overseas, but if the US educational system can't turn out
>>>> competent scientists and/or other workers, and other countries'
>>>> educational systems can, the unpleasant fact is that yes, many jobs
>>>> will be outsourced.
>>>
>>> Did you read the link, or did you just respond to Don's response,
>>> Kris?
>>>
>>> R
>>>
>>
>> I looked through part of the link (the huge type was hard on me,
>> tho') but regardless, I didn't just make up a false story - I related
>> another factor which exists in the complex issue of outsourcing.
>> Personally, I'd prefer to nto have jobs outsoirced, and the person I
>> mentioned, and I, have argued
>> about that point, because he has a very specific and practical take
>> on the issue, which he's experienced while working for a couple of
>> different companies.
>>
>> I also read a while back that many world-reknowned architects don't
>> do work
>> in the US because the production standards are not up to the levels
>> needed to carry out certain types of projects that require clse
>> tolerances and high quality.
>>
>> IOW, it's easy to blam companies that outsource, but it's mreo
>> sensible to look at *both* company policies, and worker preparedness.
>
> Does anybody ask, 'Why is outsourcing going on, now?'
> Why wasn't it going on, to the degree it has for the past 10 years,
> say 50 years ago?
> What has changed in the past 10 years to make outsourcing so
> attractive to so many large companies?
> In my opinion it comes down to this: "Its not how much you make but
> rather how much you get to keep."
Part of it is that both communication and transportation have been
greatly facilitated by technological advances; part is that more people
the world over are receiving education. THe combination of those make
labor much cheaper in other countries, because they don't have the same
laws as does the US re: minimum wages and pollution controls and th
elike; part is a tax policy the rewards companies for transferring
operations out of the US; part is cultural: a decrease in ethics overall,
an increase in people feeling "entitled" to everything and anything, a
reduction in the idea of civic duty or, really, caring about others much
at all, and a huge increase in materialism - by which I mean, not just
wanting nice things, but the delusion that having "The Thing Of THe
Week" will *make* one both happy, and envied - not a "good person",
becasue that matters less and less, but rather, "envied". ANd part of it
is as I mentioned - sometimes, it's just too difficult to find a
*competent* subcontractor, and companies look overseas.
It's parallel to the problems with housing - a house used to be your
home, the place where you lived your life. Then a house became nothign
more than an "investment", to be palmed off onto someone ASAP and for as
much as possible, IOW a big Ponzi scheme, with everyone scrambling to not
be the poor dumbass left holding the bag when the bubble collapses.
The problem is that people want a simple sound-byte answer, not the
complex truth - which itself is part of the problem...
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