Tom,

You forgot to mention the bright side! I here traffic is moving much more smoothly these days in S.V.

I don't know if I should use the work shocked or amazed at some of the stories/editorials I have read over the last 2-3 months. There was an editorial in the Business section of the LA Times just last week where the author was arguing that software jobs going over seas is no big deal. He echoed Alan Greenspans sentiment that something always comes up in the US economy to employ lots of people.

I have not heard one single "authority" on the subject discuss the long term ramifications and the significance of what we are seeing these days. I believe that the errosion of our manufacturing base was the beginning of a global event. US companies are being asked to compete on a global playing field now. They just had a story on the news today about buying drugs from Europe will now be legal here. Companies are being forced to lower their cost structure to compete globally.

There is certainly a significant amount of greed involved here. But in the bigger picture, if it costs you $10,000 to produce something and it costs me $4,000 to produce the same thing, you will be forced to lower your cost structure, whatever it takes. Or you will be out of business shortly.

I believe we are going to see extreme downward pressure in salaries in many industries. I think this we cause the gap between the haves and have-nots become much larger in the coming years. I think the only way we can compete with the Chinas and Indias is either to bring them up to our level of salaries or bring us down. Unfortunately, bringing us down appears to be mch more easily accomplished.

PF


>Joel;
>
>I got a good chuckle regardless of “political correctness”. :) Perhaps I am insensitive these days. Lots of out sourcing of software projects going on in Silicon Valley, which contributes to the lack of new jobs and higher unemployment.
>
>If you have read my posts over the last few weeks, we have 123,000 H1B’s from India (official U.S. Government figure!) working in Silicon Valley. Many are in software. 90% of the employed electronics engineers in Silicon Valley are H1B’s from India. I was an unemployed electronics engineer so I became a software developer. We have 193,000 IT jobs lost in Silicon Valley. Lost means the companies no longer exist.
>
>Next I will be washing clothes but that occupation will dry up as you can do it for less in India. Just learn to be patient! In India they will not use soap and water to wash your clothes. But the price is right and that makes everyone happy. Keep smiling! :) It is the price that is important - results mean nothing.
>
>The good news here is that they expect that outsourcing will cause many of the H1B’s to return to India for lack of work. Then the citizens of this area will be without work which is the present condition for many, but there will not be much competition for employment. Who needs or expects employment when there are no jobs.
>
>Corporate headquarters will remain in Silicon Valley as a status symbol, just as attorneys and doctors use a San Francisco address to appear to be "more professional". Can you imagine a doctor of lawyer with a Milpitas or Emeryville, California address? After all corporate big wigs thrive in Silicon Valley and the nearby area. Can you imagine such individuals living in India? Larry Ellison would flip!
>
>We are becoming a service society – manufacturing and all that is leaving the country. Within the last two years alone, California has lost 16% of its manufacturing force. Everyone will work for McDonalds. People from India will be tourists and go to McDonalds, so in the end everything works out! Tourists from India will save the United States with tourist dollars, while corporate heads living here will pat each other on the back and say, "What a great job we have done"! Just wait until the next quarter profits are reported buddy!
>
>One group from India came to a company where I was working and offered to outsource our software development to India for $20 an hour. A second group came a few days later with a similar offer and wanted $10 an hour. Do the math! How can you afford to have n people (more than one in the group) in the United States selling software services door to door, develop software and deliver on time for the suggested hourly rates? It is all done with mirrors! Or was that satellites? :)
>
>Tom
>
>
>>Not sure if I should post this. Not sure why this popped into my head this morning. Not sure of a lot of things. In any case, it's a Friday, so here it is. It's all in good fun, so please don't be offended. If you are, I apologize in advance and ask forgiveness for my momentary lapse in judgement. <g>
>>

(On an infant's shirt): Already smarter than Bush