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Social Dangers of Outsourcing

With immigration and jobs exploding onto the scene with Donald Trump it might be advisable to listen to what makes so many Americans angry over this issue.

Some Email Responses To Fortune's Outsourcing Article. Some of the anger is at the wrong people and I'm a down sized hi-tech worker myself. It is odd so many were silent on this issue as long as factory workers were losing their jobs. Now it has begun to effect even college graduates.

"I don't give a hoot how much you and other pseudo-intellectuals write about paradigm shifts or globalization or off shoring or whatever tired cliche you're recycling this week: American white-collar workers are going to fight against offshoring with their votes.

A jobless, highly educated, and angry voter doesn't give a rat's ass what you and the other windbags at consultancies like McKinsey or Gartner have to say...This is not an intellectual exercise, Dave: offshoring takes a real human toll...Who knows, FORTUNE might decide to quite paying for your boondoggles to Switzerland and offshore [your] column. Chances are, it'll be a better read."

"I am a network engineer. I have worked as hard as I could to gain my education, and then earn my certifications. Now, due to outsourcing I have lost my job...What do you say to my family when their dad/husband has worked hard and achieved something not many people can attain, yet fails to provide for them?...I want you to think about us over here, waking up scared, living scared, searching for work terrified."

This from a computer engineer laid off from a government agency in late 2002: "I want to find a political party or movement that will try to save American jobs. I am ready to vote for the Communist Party, the Nazi Party, or whatever it takes. The system we have now is a disaster. The system we have now is KILLING ME...If an enraged laid-off American engineer were to go up to his Indian replacement, and shoot him dead-if I were on the jury the verdict would be NOT GUILTY."

"I have been unemployed for two years after 25+ years in the workforce as a hard-working, productive team member of many companies...When I have a list of companies who have turned their backs on Americans, I will no longer do business with them."

A large number of readers said something like this: "Maybe it is time for FORTUNE to offshore their writers and perhaps put Lou Dobbs in charge of your magazine. He gets it. You don't."

Here are some 'comforting' lessons from history, courtesy of a 'no more tech work' message board:

"One frightening lesson from history is that the most dangerous forms of social upheaval happen when educated, intelligent and capable people are stuck in situations where they have no hope. The core of the Nazi party was peopled with highly intelligent and capable men.

Many officers of the SS were college graduates who had no jobs, and no futures for themselves or their families. In spite of the hand-wringing done by the media in this country, there is nothing to worry about as long as fanatic groups are attracting people with about as many IQ points as teeth. But, once they start drawing people who can match points with Einstein, you better start worrying a lot."

Biography and Article List For James H. Lilley