Myth busters on outsourcing

Myth Busting the Outsourcing of American Jobs

As many of my facebook friends know, I am a strong advocate for the American worker. Over the last four decades many policies and practices have brought down the standard of living for the American people and I am determined to change that. Believing that education is the key to change I am posting these myth busters on this subject.

#1) “It is too expensive to manufacture any goods in the United States.” Not true. We manufacture guns here in America every single day. These manufacturers make a high profit because guns sell. In the past I have distributed stacks of flyers and brochures from manufacturers who make products here. On one occasion you may remember that I was arrested for doing so.

#2) “The poor need Walmart.” Oh please. Wrong again. Middle class Americans fell for one stop shopping forgetting that one stop shopping facilities drive out American family owned restaurants, bike shops, hair dressers and barber shops. One stop shopping closed hundreds of thousands of sewing stores, hardware stores, electronics and music stores owned by hard working American families. Walmart and other big box franchises depend on sales from middle class Americans. If they lost that revenue they would close.

#3)” Tarrifs .” I hear this one all the time. How does that explain away the loss of banking jobs to overseas workers? How does that explain away the loss of telephone and communication jobs to overseas unskilled, impoverished, non –union workers. We have sent financial jobs overseas, web design work, banking and loan company employment, even telemarketing positions overseas. It is not just about manufacturing any more. If Verizon had their way, all their employees would be foreign.

#4) ” Manufacturing is not the wave of the future.” Think about this. Is slavery the wave of the future or the past? Revisit the struggles of the Bangladesh textile workers who in 2013 were making 6 cents an hour. After enduring dangerous and deadly factory fires and collapsing unsafe buildings these workers demanded a raise. Now they earn 10 cents an hour.

#5) “ I don’t care about overseas slave labor. I only care about Americans.” If that is true than show it. Please know that many Americans are employed at multinational corporations making minimum wage. The loss of these jobs to overseas exploitation robs the American family of financial security. It also robs each and every state of billions in tax revenue. Minimum wage workers do not buy homes and thus low pay drags down the housing market and the whole economy. What if we put 1,000 workers to work making solar panels for homes in one community and each family were able to purchase a starter home contributing $3,000 in school taxes annually. Could your school use 3 million dollars a year? Could this mean a few new teachers and several new school buses?

#6 “ We have to outsource because we do not have enough skilled workers” 14 year old females living in poverty in third world nations are not more capable than the American people. If they can learn how to use computers, telephones, machinery, and sewing machines so can Americans.

#7 “ We can no longer afford to pay health care benefits for American workers. It is too expensive.” This one is actually funny. Corporations get subsidy, tax credits, and grants. We the tax payer pay for welfare, food stamps, Medicaid, medicare, heap benefits, child care tax credits, free and reduced price school lunches, for low wage earners right now. These costs are being dumped on a smaller and smaller group of people who resent it. Would we not rather pay benefits to workers. If we drastically limit the number of jobs the less people will be able to survive independently. We need jobs so families can provide for themselves. Without these jobs they cannot.

#8) “Prices will go up” How much did you pay for your last pair of sneakers? I personally would rather pay $200 for a quality made American shoe than pay $150 for a pair of cheap sweat shop sneakers.

#9) “American made stuff is low quality.” This one actually makes me angry. That inaccurate statement hurts businesses. I am sure this is a huge insult to the America manufacturers of the upscale Decent Exposure clothing line. They use American grown cotton in their high quality products. This is also an insult to all of us and our abilities. We should take pride in what we make, buy, sell, and trade. That should be the norm however we have been brainwashed and it is time to learn the truth. We outsource because multinational corporations are exploiting third world poor. Case closed.

Joanne Kathleen Farrell