Letter to the WSJ: Outsourcing for Thee, But Certainly Not for Me

[question everything]

The Wall Street Journal

June 17, 2005


Outsourcing for Thee, But Certainly Not for Me
June 17, 2005; Page A15

Thank you, Prof. C.K. Prahalad, for educating us working stiffs on the virtues of outsourcing ("The Art of Outsourcing1," editorial page, June 8). Safely ensconced in his ivory tower world, where one of the last vestiges of lifetime job security (the tenure system) remains, Prof. Prahalad informs us that "outsourcing will lead to multiple streams of competitive advantage for U.S. companies." Yet he conveniently fails to address the price paid by American workers in terms of lost jobs and lower wages. One has to wonder how the professor and his peers would react if the nation's colleges and universities suddenly started importing professors from China and India at half the price of their current faculty. My guess is that he would run right to his (American) lawyer.

Jay Lewis
Baltimore

URL for this article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB111897342217262296,00.html

[Kmarx]

1. Here is an interesting idea.

Prahalad is part of an advanced guard. What do I mean? Read this (to read the whole article: http://www.indianconsulatesydney.org/Press%20releases/2005%20press%20releases/01January%209_2005%20Presidents%20address%20at%20PBD%202005%20.pdf):

Conclusion

Dear friends, I realize the importance of 20 million overseas Indians living in various countries of this planet. On this day, what can be the message I can give to all of you? Wherever you are, whichever country you live, enrich that country with sweat, knowledge and dignity since you belong to a nation of that tradition. At the same time, remember that we have a common umbilical connectivity with our motherland India.

In this world where connectivity, physical and electronic has become affordable, cultural connectivity becomes crucial to make a borderless India. An India where her Citizens contribute to the great Indian Dream of becoming a Developed Nation wherever they live is our dream. As Indians, we can make a difference to this world and impact the policies that govern the interactions between the nations. If only we can make sure that India.com, an enterprise with all the Indian Citizens and all of you have a common focus when it comes to India’s future. If the combined knowledge power and hence the economic power of India.com is large, our voice will influence the world forums for better world. How do we go about it? India today is heading towards a sound economic growth and has become an enviable home for the best talents in multiple fields including Science and Technology. If you are a successful academic or a businessman or an entrepreneur or an artist, can you take upon yourself like a one man NGO the task of‘ replicating you’ in an Indian here? This way you can help the nation building by direct quantifiable action. I am sure you must be having ideas by which you can create Sabeer Bhatias and Prahalads it would be our dream come true for us to see this happen.

I also take this opportunity to wish you a very Happy, prosperous and innovative New Year. May God bless you.

[question everything]

2. Thus, we are talking about "global" human resources

where those in power can pick and choose from across the globe.

What they never cease to think is: who will be able to purchase their wares.. Even the ones that max their credit cards will eventually have to cease..

[Kmarx]

3. Correct!!!

Capitalists want the world as their garden so they may pluck its fruits at will. The final stages of Capitalism are at hand. We will not live to see it but the prediction of Marx will come to pass. The first 'stages' were pseudo-stages, e.g., Russia, China, etc. These countries were dictatorships since the beginning of time. Communism was just a cloak, an effort to mask the true nature of these cultures which go back centuries. Once Capitalism has the world as its garden, what can Capitalists possibly turn to? Capitalism is a rabid animal with a voracious appetite for cheap labor and raw materials which is driven by insatiable greed. Once world domination is achieved, Capitalists will fight among themselves for the final scraps of a finite quantity -- profit -- until the whole rotten structure comes tumbling down as in the final scene of Gotterdammerung with a new form of human interaction arising, hopefully a better one.