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U.S. Chamber of Commerce Chief Endorses Offshoring of Jobs

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CShine Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-30-04 08:27 PM
Original message
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Chief Endorses Offshoring of Jobs
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas Donohue is promoting overseas outsourcing of jobs as a way to boost the economy and even increase employment - a stance that rankles jobless white-collar workers, particularly in the flagging technology industry. Donohue, speaking Wednesday night to the Commonwealth Club of California, said he believes exporting high-paid tech jobs to low-cost countries such as India, China and Russia saves companies money that they may use to create new jobs for Americans. CEOs from Wall Street to Silicon Valley have embraced the theory, and the pace of offshoring has shocked statisticians and economists.

In early June, the Bureau of Labor Statistics downwardly revised projections for white-collar job growth for 2002-2003, based on accelerated job migration. The agency reported that seven of the 10 occupations expected to gain the most ground are low-wage occupations that do not require a college degree. Technology consulting firm Gartner Inc. estimates that 10 percent of computer services and software jobs will be moved overseas by the end of this year.

<snip>

President Bush has largely avoided the touchy subject in public appearances. Some of his economic advisers have said that exporting labor to low-cost countries will reduce business costs, boost corporations' financial performance and thereby improve the U.S. economy. Democratic candidate John Kerry said last week in San Jose that "America can't put walls around itself" or reject the realities of the global economy. He has proposed tax reforms that would erase some financial incentives for companies to export high-paying jobs.

It's no surprise that Donohue, who tripled the Chamber of Commerce's lobbying team and aggressively promotes pro-business policies, endorses offshoring. The organization, which represents 3 million businesses, champions tax cuts, free trade and more liberal trade deals with China. Donohue, 66, past president of the American Trucking Associations and regional assistant postmaster general in San Francisco and New York, likes to say that "business should stop apologizing" for perceived abuses.


http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGB6RIF64WD.html
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rooboy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-30-04 08:33 PM
Response to Original message
1. Can someone from Fox News explain to me...
why they were saying 6 months ago that American workers had the highest productivity in the world, yet it seems the best place for these jobs is in other countries?
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Kagemusha Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-30-04 08:37 PM
Response to Reply #1
2. They're ok with a little less productivity and a lot less cost.
It's the knee-jerk reaction of any capitalist to seek such a trade-off.
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devinsgram Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-30-04 08:43 PM
Response to Original message
3. When are going to get it through their thick skulls
it does not work like that. Sure companies save money, but it then goes to their stockholders, not to create new jobs.
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Redleg Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-30-04 10:07 PM
Response to Reply #3
6. Exactly. More "voodoo economics" from the right-wing corporatists.
Fuck 'em. Now that makes ME feel better!
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Thor_MN Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-30-04 09:21 PM
Response to Original message
4. WTC!!!
"exporting high-paid tech jobs... saves companies money that they may use to create new jobs for Americans. "


Uh, just what the chenney was wrong with the OLD high paying jobs? This doesn't even make sense!!! "You don't want that dirty smelly OLD
high paying job... Here's a bright shiny NEW job!!! You even get to wear a spiffy uniform!!!($37.50 from your first paycheck) With a hat!! ($16.95) Don't forget to ask if they want a Value meal."

"Nasty paper money... Wouldn't you rather have a bright, shiny new penny???"

Notice that they even qualify their bullshit "..that they MAY use to create.." Not that that they WILL or SHOULD.
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Hornito Donating Member (460 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-30-04 10:02 PM
Response to Original message
5. Tell ME there's no class warfare in this country!
The corporatists are the "new totalitarians". They must be stopped.
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DBoon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-30-04 10:48 PM
Response to Reply #5
7. It's not "class war"
A war implies two armies meeting on a battlefield.

When one side has all the arms and slaughters another side consisting of unarmed civilians, it's called a massacre

We are being massacred as we speak.
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DeepModem Mom Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jul-01-04 01:55 AM
Response to Original message
8. kick
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njattack Donating Member (1 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jul-02-04 08:05 AM
Response to Original message
9. U.S. Commerce Thomas Donohue is a Madman
The Butchers of American Jobs


(Speech delivered on March 19, 2004)

Fellow Friends and American Taxpayers:

During the last thirty years the United States has been at the mercy of decadent elements whom have abused it's confidence. During these thirty years those elements have done nothing but destroy, disintegrate and dissolve. Hence, it has been neither prosperity nor dream that Americans have experienced, rather hard misfortunes, hunger and hopelessness. This is the result of in-sourcing of foreign labor, of out-sourcing of American jobs and the lack of protectionist policies. In all cases the American people are the losers.

I do not know how many thousands of people will hear this speech or read it later on, whether at their own home or living with their relatives, but I want to speak to you as one American to another.

Recently, in the press, televised media and Internet there has been a flood of liberal propaganda claiming that "protectionism" is evil and "free trade" is Heaven. They make no distinction as to what is being protected or what is free except that if economic policy is good for the American people that is protectionism and is evil. The goal of these anti-protectionists and free trade activists has been evident from the beginning. They say everything will be "cheap." They say it will create jobs. Well, "free trade" has been around for over thirty years and the American unemployment today is nearing Great Depression levels of fifteen million. Said President McKinley in the 1890's: "Sure, everything would be cheap and everybody would be cheap... It is the badge of poverty... And when things were the cheapest men were the poorest."

Take for example, President Bush's expert economic advisor, a professional college student, professor Greg Mankiw, GM for short, whom recently wrote that the outsourcing of American jobs to foreign countries was "a plus for the economy in the long run." That is to say, Americans must be put into the unemployment lines so that foreigners in Asia can make the money. Mr. Mankiw has lost himself in his "long run" feverish fantasy and confuses his chaotic dreams by isolating himself from reality. He spits out insults against the American people and U.S. Congress because he has managed to find a little corner for himself near the university and political manure piles to count his seven figure paycheck for writing a book that is nothing more than "Socialism, Betty Boop style."

In a political election year the President's staff always uses every propaganda means at their disposal from number juggling to using the old Roman orators trick: the big lie, to present to the public a bright and cheery outlook of the economy. Everybody knows how the Bush teams adds and subtracts. They divide figures that are unfavorable to his cabinet by two, and multiplies the favorable ones by the same number. In more desperate situations, they outright claim insufficient information! This balances the account.

On March 22, 2004, an interview with Secretary of Commerce, Mr. Donald Evans, was nationally televised where one noticed that his relations to the truth were a bit strained. As we all know Mr. Evans is a close friend of big corporate scandals. During the interview he announced to the American public that current unemployment is at 5.6 per cent. Mr. Evans may be able to fool the corporate CEO's, but we Americans will never be in any doubt as to which multiplier or divisor we need to apply to his numbers. The real U.S. unemployment figure is a staggering 10.9 per cent! About 15 million unemployed Americans. Granted, he can claim to be less than a liar than President Bush. Bush has had more experience. Evans went on to say he supports outsourcing, viz, the purposeful practice of increasing unemployment, and, a type of amnesty for illegal aliens that in the final analysis only encourages terrorism in this country since it is offering money for violating U.S. federal laws. He stated that it's time to "fix" it, but doesn't know how. History "fixed" that problem in 1954 under one of America's greatest Presidents: Dwight Eisenhower. He rounded up the 5 million illegal aliens and deported them back to their own country where -- they -- belong.

But, the most astonishing moment of his interview came when Evans bombastically announced that there are "one million new hires every week" in the United States. If that is so Mr. Evans, why are there 15 million unemployed Americans?

Commerce Secretary Donald Evans is a longhorn "white trash" liar. Why do I use the term white trash? You use the term to describe something despicable and contemptable. He is being paid large sums of American taxdollars, yes, your tax dollars, to put as many of you Americans out of work! Evans is one of those diabolical masterminds of outsourcing, who's terror campaign encourages it's practice at every opportunity. His criminal madness knows no bounds and he has the impudance to say he's working for the American people! Evans evaluates everything only as to how it affects his billfold. The more Americans he puts out of work, the fatter his billfold gets.

I say to you: Here is my billfold Evans. Show me yours. The one with the most money is the anti-American pig!

It would surely be good for the American people, the ones whom built the United States into a great industrial complex, if they did not have to stand beside these underground gangsters with their fat wallets and empty consciences. As the famous saying has it: "Tell me your friends and I'll tell you who you are."

These liberals have come down -- down from the mountain top after seeing the burning Bush with "free trade", "anti-protectionism", "in/out sourcing" under arm ready to convert the unsuspecting soul to their paradise that is nothing more than a fearful wasteland with starving and unemployed people. It's theory is glossy and grandoise, but one look at reality and one sees the millions of sacrifices that have been made in honor of it through massive job losses and unnecessary bloody wars. And all these diciples of "free trade" and "anti-protectionism" can say: "But, everything belongs to everybody and everthing will be cheap. It's the long run!"

Cheap is not the American way.

Making Americans unemployed is not the American way.

Selling American jobs is not the American way.

I ask you, fellow Americans: Is that what you want, cheap merchandise, cheap wages, massive unemployment? A cheap life where hunger and desperation sit beside you at the supper table?

The only remaining question is why Congress has not demanded that Bush's economic team be outright fired, instead of stubbornly holding on to these glittering brilliant minds that are so posionous and harmful to the United States.

Foreigner in/out-sourcing, free-trade and anti-protectionism are the real butchers of American jobs and industry with the gangsters Evans and Mankiw as their criminal czars. They are the sworn enemy of every decent professional and non-professional American worker. We Americans will not tolerate the anti-American behavior of Evans, Mankiw, U.S. Chamber of Commerce madman, Thomas Donohue, and demand they be immediately fired and the money they have received returned to the taxpayers.

Epilogue:

Put up or shut up!

It is always the case that when one preaches a theory one also practices that theory. If someone tells you they support "in/outsourcing" then say to them:

"OK! You support it, you set the example and you practice it! Start by outsourcing YOUR job. Cut off your paycheck. Come on boy, put up or shut up!"

You will find that 99% of them will recoil their head in retreat.

Say that to Treasury Secretary Mr. John Snow and watch his enormous expanse of bald head glow like a light bulb. He will high-tail back to Augusta National Golf Club and play footsie with the giggly females.

Put up or shut up!
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