EVERYONE....Urgent...read the thread "Lilian Vernon"

[phamton]

So should we also encourage our DisBoard friends from other countries to boycott Disney because WDW helps the U.S. (or Flordia) economy? And caution them about buying American imports to their country. Germans should only buy German products, French buy products from France, etc. I guess that includes American movies, music, books, etc. also. Everyone should only buy products completely produced in their own country. It's the patriotic thing to do.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

For some reason these threads make me sad. Maybe it's because we don't seem like good global neighbors. We want everything for ourselves, but don't want to help a country like Mexico try to develop their industries. How are the people of Mexico expected to better themselves so they don't come over make their money and take it back to live high on the hog (paraphrased).

Yes I know, why should we help others??? blah blah blah

 

[Lewski709]

Visiting is fine, what's wrong with a vacation anywhere?

We all do what we think is best. Maybe I am just dumb about supporting my country. We need to help our own situation in USA before lending all hands to others.

 

[Bumbles]

The more we are invloved with overseas the more the doors open for overseas immigrants. Don't you think that they are going to see this eventually and want to come on over too?

wow..immigrants in the United States..what a novel concept

I take it then that you are 100% Native American?

 

[phamton]

Originally posted by Lewski709
We need to help our own situation in USA before lending all hands to others.

So do you think other countries should do the same and boycott American products? I may be wrong, and someone feel free to correct me, but I think we export more products and goods than we import.

 

[Lewski709]

I am willing to buy "other" products, I just chose not to if they are taking away jobs from Americans. If you work as an accountant for Proctor and Gamble and they decide to move your job to India, are going to continue to buy Proctor and Gamble products intentionally...or are you going to feel a sting and take notice of who is making the products before buying them?

I was born in the United States. I am an American and proudly represent America.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

someone feel free to correct me, but I think we export more products and goods than we import.

well no. In fact, the trade deficit in recent years has been expanding.

 

[Lewski709]

I should have clarified and said "illegal" immigrants. Sorry!

 

[phamton]

You may be right, Toby's friend. I didn't really research this but had recently been reading about Japanese exports/imports. Japan major exports are to the U.S. but they import more from the U.S. (dollar wise) than they export. They mostly import agricultural products form America. I had been studying that as more and more people have complained about how un-American it is to buy Japenese products. It seems that at least we benefit more economically from trading with Japan.

 

[caitycaity]

Don't you think that they are going to see this eventually and want to come on over too?

why would they want to come over when supposedly all the good US jobs are popping up in their backyards?

We need to help our own situation in USA before lending all hands to others.

so are you opposed to the war in iraq, then?

 

[Beauty]

I'm going to make a dumb but true comment.

Honestly, I buy what I like, I don't even look to see where it comes from. I have more to worry about and care about right here in my family at home. It all comes down to politics in the end anyway and in my opinion there isn't an honest politician out there so why bother wasting your time or your energy on something thats going to happen, or NOT happen anyway.

 

[momof2inPA]

Didn't the Republican party ship all if their telemarketing jobs to India?

 

[I <3 Eeyore]

Is there anyone out there that truly believes that if we stop outsourcing jobs to other countries we will reduce the number of illegal immigrants to the US? I'm having a really difficult time with some of the logic on this topic. If these jobs are available in their own country (and apparently NOT available in the US), why would they sneak in here?

My grandparents (all of them) were immigrants. I'm an American. My father, my brothers, and my daughter have all proudly served in the US miltary. I consider myself pretty patriotic overall and kind of resent the implication that if I'm not outraged by foreign call centers I'm somehow less of a patriot than others.

I've spent many years as a manager in call centers and worked for one that used Indian labor to augment US labor so they could provide 24/7 responses to customer emails. The fact is, this has been a common practice for many years. Companies don't make this decision lightly and it is generally an economic decision intended to keep the company solvent and profitable. Personally, I don't have an issue with that. I prefer a solvent company to one that's continually downsizing until it inevitably files for bankruptcy protection. THAT'S a lot more painful.

PS: The 'should I quit my job' question was tongue in cheek. My apologies to anyone who actually took it seriously.

 

[gina2000]

Phamton....we actually run a huge trade deficit with Japan and the rest of the world....over 41 billion at last look. We've been running it for years now. A weaker dollar hopes to strengthen our export position but it hasn't done anything in the last 15 years, so I doubt it will now....at least not to the degree necessary to help right the deficit.

 

[phamton]

Originally posted by gina2000
Phamton....we actually run a huge trade deficit with Japan and the rest of the world....over 41 billion at last look. We've been running it for years now. A weaker dollar hopes to strengthen our export position but it hasn't done anything in the last 15 years, so I doubt it will now....at least not to the degree necessary to help right the deficit.

Thanks Gina and Toby's friend. I was definitely mistaken but one good thing came out of my ignorance of the facts: you both inspired me to do some more research.

I learned that:

From the Bureau Of Economic Analysis on July 7, 2003 that:

United States: 1st Quarter 2003

Current Account Balance, 1st Quarter 2003:

-$136.12 billion

Goods imports increased more than goods exports. Petroleum and petroleum products accounted for three-fourths of the increase in goods imports.

And from: http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c5880.html#2003

That we do indeed have a deficit with Japan (meaning we spend more on Japanese imports than we make on exports to them)

Year: 2003

Exports to Japan: 38,686.7*

Imports from Japna: 86,787.7*

Deficit: -48,101.0*

(* All figures are in millions of U.S. dollars)

I am now dining on humble pie and, amazingly, it tastes a little like eating crow.

 

[Snowysmom]

I find outsourcing of jobs to be a very touchy subject. With alot of high tech jobs going to India, employees here are training their replacements and then are out of work for months before finding a much lower paying job if at all. There is a global economy I realize that but that does not mean send all of America's jobs overseas. Let the other countries compete with us in the global economy. India actually has some very vocal lobbying groups who actively seek out jobs from America. What are we supposed to do in the future, be Walmart greeters at minimum wage? We have told our sons to be sure to make a career choice that cannot be outsourced easily. Sorry for the rant but I know too many people who are out of work because their jobs went overseas. They are now unemployed or underemployed. We try to buy products made in USA where we can. We know it isn't always possible.

 

[gina2000]

In a normal laissez faire economy, corporate investment creates jobs in new industries while maintaining current jobs in the cheapest labor cost environment. We've had a different economic environment during this last recession due to over capacity. Capital expenditures (a major component in job creation) has been down for several years now. The recovery has largely been consumer led as opposed to government and corporate spending leading the way. As corporations pare down costs, working consumers no longer can afford to spend and actually see very little job creation to replace ongoing outsourcing. Until capital expenditure increases and corporations commit more capital to R&D, we have a stalemate of sorts. Corps are paring down expenditures but not enough to start commiting to capital projects. Consumers are losing jobs and have none to replace them because corps have no capital commitments. It's a logjam. Hopefully paring down costs will get capital investment going which in turn will be instrumental in job creation.

 

[gina2000]

Originally posted by phamton
I am now dining on humble pie and, amazingly, it tastes a little like eating crow.

Nah....don't feel that way. This is just an exchange of ideas.....

 

[momof2inPA]

Corporations need to pare down expenditures on executive salaries, then there might be some left over for long term investment.

I, for one, believe that "free trade" is ruining this country. We should be moving toward balanced trade, but with the lobbyists paying off congress, it just won't happen.

 

[maci]

Well as far as the call centers go...I wish more companies would go to allowing people to work from home. I work for a company that runs or assists call centers for many companies. The big difference is all of the phone agents work from their homes!! This is such a win win situation, it allows people such as myself to work from home to allow more family time, and it reduces the costs on the companies. They dont have to pay for any of the equipment needed to run these call centers (computers, phones, etc.), or insurance for the employees etc. NOW, I dont know how the cost of this would compare to out sourcing to india, but it does seem like such a better alternative!! Of course, I am sure there has to be a down side as well, which I am sure someone will gladly point out !
But that is my 2 cents!