Globalization / Outsourcing
My current job involves the movement of jobs that were once in the US, from their current locations in Ireland and Puerto Rico, to even lower cost structures in Malaysia. While I’m good at my job, and get some satisfaction from the professional challenges, I hate the results. Free trade makes economic sense, and globalization is a logical result, but the United States needs to play at globalization on a level field with the rest of the world.
- Currencies need to be fairly valued. If the Chinese government manipulates their exchange rate, the US needs to compensate for that unfair competitive advantage.
- If other countries have no corporate tax, instead relying on VAT (Value Added Tax) structures, our corporations are left at a disadvantage that they will combat by moving jobs out of the US.
- Many foreign countries lack appropriate labor and environmental protections. That should not represent a competitive advantage.
- Industry subsidies hurt consumers, whether foreign subsidies or US.
If free trade is implemented in a rationale manner, raising the global standard of living results in a more secure, peaceful planet. Let’s be sure to implement a process that preserves the American standard of living and doesn’t simply plunder the developing world for profit.
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