I have a question regarding outsourcing. I sincerely do not know the answer to this question. We all know that much of America's industry is being outsouced (at least small ticket consumer goods, like tv's computers, shoes, sunglasses etc). Is Europe during the same or is all of Europes consumer goods made "in house"?

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Its better to have fussed and crabbed then never to have fussed at all - Lucy

Europe is probably doing more outsourcing than the USA.

BBC NEWS | Business | Tesco 'outsources jobs to India'
Friday, 23 July, 2004, 06:34 GMT 07:34 UK
Tesco 'outsources jobs to India'
Indian call centre Tesco, the UK's leading supermarket chain, has said it is to move 420 jobs to India from the UK.

The business support jobs will be shifted from three of the group's UK centres to Bangalore.

Support staff in Cardiff, Dundee and Welwyn Garden City will be affected, the company said.

But the UK workers affected by the outsourcing move will be offered new jobs at the company, as long as they are flexible, Tesco added.

Outsourcing savings

"Everybody will be offered an alternative role at Tesco. Last year we had 350 roles that were moved and 70% of the staff that were affected took up alternative positions at Tesco," a spokeswoman told Reuters.

Major companies, including HSBC, Norwich Union and BT, have been outsourcing jobs to India in an effort to cut costs

The country's relatively inexpensive, skilled English-speaking work force is one of the main attractions.

But trade union opposition to the trend is mounting, as they claim increasing transfer of work to India which they say could cost up to 200,000 jobs in the UK.

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Bush-lite fooled the American people

One benifet of high fuel costs may make it cheaper to manufacture goods in America again.
the cost of transporting goods from overseas may make the goods more expensive than producing them here.

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I respect your right to have your own opinion,but I do not necessarily respect your opinion.

AFAIK, the only places where outsourcing works is where the primary language is english...

I would think this topic would draw more interest. If Western Europe is also outsourcing its comsumer based manufacturing that has larger ramifications than if just the United States is doing so. Perhaps if the industrialized west is in general outsourcing this type of production that means this is nothing more than the next stage of development of manufacturing and truthfully helps the entire world in the long run.

This is exactly what the liberals want - to spread the wealth - but they can't seem to get past its being done without the government taking your money and giving it to someone else.

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Its better to have fussed and crabbed then never to have fussed at all - Lucy

It isn't as pronounced in Europe because Europe had underdeveloped eastern and southern Europe to exploit for some of these jobs, but as others have pointed out it is occurring.

And it is the next step of economic development. Manufacturing is becoming almost like a commodity, and as such the profit margins are shrinking pretty fiercely. Much better for the economy to move into higher end service industries (information, finance, medical, marketing, r&d, ect.)

The problem though is that despite spending trillions of dollars on education over the past 30 years, we are turning out idiots incapable of providing any value to anyone (and I am not talking mere book smarts, vocational skills are just as important) and with a overgrown sense of entitlement and delusional opinions of self worth.

I think you are correct on this. We don't have the Slavs for cheap labor but at some point, if Europe does continue to prosper the Slavs will be clamouring for more money and a better way of life. Look at what has happened in Germany. When the wall fell East Germany was an economic wasteland (so much for planned economies huh). Today, while it still is not at the level of West Germany its far better than it was. The point is however that all the industrialized nations of the world are outsoucing some or most of its production leaving the higher paying, more technical jobs here. (the majority of the really rich in this country have gotten that way through either silcon vally or sales).

We are the most uneducated industrized nation. Not because of George Bush or not because we are stupid as a nation but because, like you point out, education today is not about educating our young but in training them to be good little govenment clients. I sincerely believe that our youth would be better served if their formal education were to end in the 8th grade (like the Amish) and they enrolled in some sort of apprentistship program. Not everyone is college material, not everyone can be doctors, lawyers, socialist workers (opps I meant social workers) etc. It has become lower class to be blue collar and get your hands dirty while working.

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Its better to have fussed and crabbed then never to have fussed at all - Lucy

Well, when blue collar jobs don't pay livable wages, of course people accustomed to more are going to balk at taking them.

The era immediately following WWII was an abberation, not the historical norm, but it was treated as a new era by the media. Lots of cheerleading...then reality set back in the 70's.....once the rest of the world had finished recovering.....

Transportation and communication technology have changed our world. Our culture hasn't kept up.

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"If you're going to tell people the truth, be funny or they'll kill you." -- Billy Wilder

"Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied." -- Otto Von Bismark

Most skilled blue collar jobs pay very well. A truck driver can make $80,000 a year or more. An auto mechanic can do very well, plumbers, electricians also can make very high wages. Shade tree mechanics, with no formal skills can't do as well, nor should they.

I don't really understand the rest of your post. Can you elaborate?

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Its better to have fussed and crabbed then never to have fussed at all - Lucy

Most of my friends work blue collar jobs. Most are making less than 40k.
When contrasted with the ridiculous compensation recieved my many CEOs, there is obviously a questionable balance.....IMO

yeah, kind of muddied that last part...sorry

yes, I will explain, but I don't have time at the moment....

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"If you're going to tell people the truth, be funny or they'll kill you." -- Billy Wilder

"Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied." -- Otto Von Bismark