Thursday, March 29, 2007

The robber barons are back and they are global!The robber barons of the late 19th century were defeated by workers organizing. The workers felt they were being exploited and did something to fight back. The American worker benefited by these courageous workers in the 20th century. Laws were made to protect workers safety, and to ensure that workers were treated fairly.Corporate America in the late 20th century and early this century has figured out how to get around these efforts. The modern robber barons are going global. Companies no longer consider themselves American companies, they are now multi-national corporations. There is no loyalty to America.It wasn't too long ago that the terminology for factories being exploited was "sweatshops". And it caused outrage, considering the human rights violations. Now to put a positive spin on their actions, they call these exploited areas, "developing countries", and they see dollar signs there. Where are those people who were concerned about human rights, and fair trade?Outsourcing is an effort to cut the cost of labor, and it is working. It is costing American's jobs. Think that the exodus of American manufacturing jobs won't affect you? Who will carry the tax burden left from displaced workers? What will happen to your property value, when all of these workers default on their mortgages, leaving a percentage of the houses in your neighborhood empty, When corporations deflate the American economy and our buying power, they won't miss a beat. They have already entered other markets, where labor laws are very lenient. Corporations will continue to make millions, and you just might see a problem of illegal immigration of Americans to Mexico to get some of the work that is being outsourced

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