Reply #30: There are alternatives, but one of the alternatives is to lose business [View All]

[Democat]

Almost everyone agrees that the loss of jobs is bad for the economy and for American workers, but companies have to be competitive to survive. If they don't survive, then the jobs are lost that way.

Saying that a company is motivated by "greed" ignores the fact that consumers are also motivated by "greed". The average consumer (who is also a worker) doesn't care where their shirts or phone support or games are made, they just want cheap products.

Put two identical products next to each other on the shelf in Walmart and price one at double the other. Put a "Made in America" sticker on the expensive one. At the end of the day, which product do you think will outsell the other?

In a capitalist society, companies want to make as much money as possible, workers want to make as much money as possible, and consumers want to get as much for their money as possible.

Outsourcing allows (at least in the short run) two out of three of those "wants" to come true. The problem is that the third, workers making as much as possible, is undermined by outsourcing. Eventually the fact that American workers aren't getting paid, or aren't even employed, will bring the economy down, but that still doesn't mean, in the real world, that consumers are willing to pay more money for the same product.

I still don't see any "treason" here, but it's a major problem facing America and other countries. What is the solution?