[rdorman]

This has been and will continue to go on. It will not stop. So the question is, how do we maintain our standard of living and compete globally? I am no economist or anything like that so I have no answers. I do know that it is a very complex situation. We have our strengths and we must continue to support those.

Some times, and ecspecially in the past, foriegn goods = poor quality. But that has and continues to change. It was just a few years ago that the Chrysler plant with the highest productivity and initial quality rating was in Mexico. The higher the quality the products and services offered out of the country the more we loose the edge (look at Japan for instance).

We are in the growing pains of a Global economy and all of us will experience change whether we like it or not. I see our standard of living going down while the rest of the worlds goes up. I just read the other day that the median per capita in Europe is 27K U.S. while in the U.S. it is 28K. That suprised me that Europe was that close. Didn't use to be that way. But in China it can be as low as $500 to as high as $5000 for top layers of professionals.

I think people will generally do what is in their best interest. Companies are owned and operated by people. So I expect corporations to do what is in there best interest. Fortuniatly the concept of Social Responsibilty and the demand for it by consumers will cause some third world countries to increase the working and standards for their work force, increasing their costs and helping to level the playing field.

It will take time. And it will not be settled in out life times.

I am a computer professional. A few years ago I could demand pretty much what ever salary I wanted. And companies would be standing in line to pay it! Times have changed. Not so much, at least for me, because of shipping stuff off shore but because of market correction. I call it market correction because as much as I enjoyed it, I fealt the market was over inflated. Sure, a major over simplification.

Where it hit me is my company decided to eliminate all contractors. Which meant me. 7.5 years as a contractor with one client! A good run by anyones standards. I was given the option to pick an exit date or entertain an offer. Eventually I choose the latter and became an employee. A 38% REDUCTION in gross pay. And I was damn fortuniate it was not larger. Plus I did not make the same mistake as some of the Dot-commers made and adjust my standard of living up to the inflated salary levels. I knew it would not last, I almost fealt guilty depositing that check every week (almost!). Still living in the same house that I lived in when my wife and I gave each other wiper blades for Christmas and where damn glad to get them! We took the fat times as an oportunity to become liquid financially and are damn glad we did!

Change is painfull. And I am grateful that it has not hit me harder than it has.

Rick