Stop Offshoring
Friday, December 12, 2008
As I listened to the news about the failed auto industry bailout package, it occurred to me that this was one instance where I didn't mind if the products were made outside the U.S. The reason is that American cars are, in general, not as well-built or as environmentally friendly as their Japanese counterparts. When we buy cars, we don't focus on just the price, which is the case when many companies offshore jobs. We look at quality and desirability as well, and American auto makers don't win on those fronts. Now, I'm not saying that we should blindly buy cars from any foreign country. The Japanese have proven for decades that they build good cars, and the Koreans are starting to establish themselves also. I wouldn't buy a car from an Indian or Chinese company though, because I don't get the same warm and fuzzy feeling from them as I do from Toyota or Honda.
This brings me back to why I'm against offshoring in the first place. Offshoring isn't about seeking the best workers. It's about stupidly cutting costs. If Indians provided better customer support or wrote better software than their American counterparts, then they deserve their jobs. The fact is, they don't, and American workers and customers suffer as a result of saving a buck.
