>PMFJI Al,
>
>>>Your comparison of the hardware inside a PC and outsourcing software development is specious. Robots in India, Taiwan, etc. differ little from those within the U.S.
>>
>>Let's assume that's true. Why, then, aren't all electronic components made in the U.S.?
>
>One reason - cost. Recycling/disposal of etchant, defluxers, and cleaning solvents used in circuit board production can be upwards of 5 times the original cost. I'm not familiar with semiconductor production, but I suspect there are similar costs. Beyond that are other costs - Superfund comes to mind. We are still dealing with disposals from the 60's and 70's today. How are these other countries competing? Use your imagination...

Really, what about the legislation in those countries? I know there's a big push for legislation to be brought into existence there, which would protect intellectual rights (just track the travels of Bill Gates in the last ten years) - patents, copyrights, to the extent of spelling doom for local pharmaceutical industry. The push is coming from here, if I wasn't clear.

Why is then a similar push omitted when it comes to environmental protection laws? Two words come to mind: "corporate" and "profit".