Republican Logic - Outsourcing for Everyone!

[TornadoTN]

Interesting day at work to say the least, so I had to post about it here and get it off of my back. I work for a mid-sized manufacturer of industrial equipment that serves many different industries across the world. We have survived - even perservered - because of our committment to making our product second to none and keeping the manufacturing of our products in the hands of the American worker. Sure, we have faced some tough times but overall things have been going good and most of us have been very confident about our future. That is until today.

The President of our company is a rabid Republican. One of those "Rich" Republicans that only votes Republican because they pad his back pocket more than the Dems. He openly says he doesn't care about the war, the social collapse of the country, the erosion of our rights and liberties or anything else just as long as his back pocket continues to be padded. Needless to say, a lot of things happen here that make our heads spin - its all about the profits.

Today, I check my e-mail box and lo and behold, there is a nice little e-mail from one of our overseas affiliates that is all up in arms over something that they saw that concerned them. What was it? An almost perfect copy of our product being made in China at half the cost. How did they pull it off? Well, in the almighty pursuit of profit, someone in power here sold a piece of this equipment as well as the engineering specs for a (one time) handsome profit to a Chinese company. The Chinese spent a couple years copying it and now they are in full production mode. So now that we created our own competition in China for a one-time sale, we are faced with several daunting prospects - none of which bode well for us. We will either start making our own equipment in China to compete, which will hurt the workers here and sacrifice the quality of our product or we stand by, do nothing and lose any sense of long term viability or survivability for those of us who still have a long career ahead of us.

I'm pissed because the powers that be sacrificed the very essence of our company for a one-time profit and I'm pissed because of the logic that will come into play among the top-brass. I fear - and when I say fear, I mean I know - that the prevalant thought among the top brass will be "get out while the getting is good" and let the company sink with everyone else still aboard. I hold an MBA and I understand the realities of doing business overseas, but our company did nothing to protect itself because it has only been concerned about the short-term profits. Manufacturing in this country is slowly drying up, but it doesn't have to be this way. We can compete and we can make a better product, but the prevalent thought in this country amongst management in this country is about building that short-term fortune for themselves. Sure, I want to be successful and be wealthy, but I don't believe in sacrificing my employees for my own profit. It doesn't have to be this way. Fortunes can be built and better lives can be had by all if we would just stop focusing on our own selfish pursuits. We can do business overseas and be successful, but we don't have to sell our souls to be successful!

Today is the first day that I honestly can say that I am losing faith in my fellow countrymen.

[mac56]

1. Someone at DU introduced the phrase "cheap labor Republicans".

Hypothesized that everything the GOP does is ultimately geared toward one thing and one thing only: maintaining a steady supply of cheap labor.

[TornadoTN]

3. That's where I see this going

The brass will close up shop and head to China. Sure, there will be a lot of money changing hands but the workers they leave behind here in this country won't get any of it.

[peacetalksforall]

4. Aren't there also some "cheap labor Libertarians" also nt?

[mac56]

7. wouldn't surprise me

A nickel's worth of difference between the two camps.

Perhaps "cheap labor conservatives" is the more accurate phrase.

[porphyrian]

2. Maybe we can outsource their trials...

...to, say, the Hague.

[buddysmellgood]

5. "He openly says he doesn't care about the war, the social collapse of the country, the erosion of

our rights and liberties or anything else just as long as..."

He's not an American. He wants to live under a feudal system and call it America. These types think they will be able to buy freedom for themselves under any condition. May they burn in Hell.

[TornadoTN]

11. Yep, thats the short of it

That's the way that they operate. Needless to say, I don't fit in well amongst that circle, but I do my job well and (hope) try to be an asset to the company. I'm the token liberal amongst the crowd of conservatives.

[buddysmellgood]

14. I've got a friend in the same situation. Big stress. Hang in there. Keep posting.

[AIJ Alom]

6. I know the feeling brother. They attempted to ship the entire telecom

department that I managed to India, this after we put up record numbers, $2.3 million in sales in 2003. In fact, I was to be shipped out to India to train my people's replacements and I balked, complained, researched, and eventually quit. I may have lost my job, but my action saved 50 people's jobs and frankly if given the opportunity again, I'd do it in an instant.

[TornadoTN]

9. Good for you, AIJ!

I have a fear that I will be doing the same thing in the near future. Which is quite sad really, because just a month ago this place was alive with enthusiasm for the future and I could have very easily saw myself spending my career here. I was hoping for that opportunity to come along to change some things to be more fair to the workers, become more competitive, and even build my own fortune while BUILDING the company.

Doesn't look too promising today, but we'll continue on and hopefully things will take a better turn. I have some hope, as it is still early.

[AIJ Alom]

15. Thanks. Keep fighting bro and if you have to, bail and take

all of your co-workers with you. You've got a good head on your shoulders, might be time to start your own business.

[butterfly77]

8. Which state are you in?

[TornadoTN]

10. Tennessee

[sinkingfeeling]

12. Been there and seen it happen before. My ex-company sold its

technology directly to our competitor. The products were/are mainframe computers....not exceptionally cheap by any standard. I couldn't understand when our R & D had come up with it and then we sold it!

[TornadoTN]

13. That's just the thing, we didn't "sell" it

We basically gave them a wink and a nod and gave it to them. Theory has it that this may have been planned this way, since the brass has been itching to go offshore for several years.

[spooked]

16. That was my thought!

This could all be staged...the email about the technology getting into their hands...just so the Repug Company owner doesn't take the blame! Clever.