OT Food for thought

In article , Peter Charles
wrote:

On 26 Feb 2004 15:29:27 -0800, (Jonathan Cook)
wrote:

(George Adams) wrote in message
...

I agree. The horse is out of the barn, and we can't, (and maybe shouldn't),
stop it, but we do need some way to buy time and develop a strategy for the

Outsourcing is inherently an unsustainable mechanism. It only
benefits those who use it first. A good question to ask oneself
when deciding whether to do something or not is "what would
happen if everyone did it?".

[snip]

Jon.

snipped

But is that always true? Is this something unique? Well, no it
isn't. Ever since the Industrial Revolution started in England,
social institutions have never kept pace with technological
advancement. Structural unemployment is an artifact of this reality.
Capital is extrermely mobile, production is very mobile, but labour is
not. Capital changes very rapidly, production capability changes
rapidly, but labour does not. Since those first few factories started
up in England, labour has never kept pace with technology.

More Petah's pertinent stuff snipped

It's true, I understand the buggy whip and barrel stave making trades
are expecting large layoffs.
Since we evolved into a mfg society it's been a case of continual
education and awareness of the viabiiity of ones trade to earn a living
and to ensure you have a job in the mid and long term. Not saying it's
the best way and not saying that formal or OJT education alone will
save you but it seems to be reality. The other thing I note is folks
seem to not want to move to find jobs. I was out hiking in the
Patapsco forest with the dog last fall and ran into an older guy
sitting on the bank tying a new leader. I stopped and exchanged
pleasantries and he mined me for a bit of information about my home
river (FF'ing content noted). He had just moved from Dallas and was in
the large building construction industry business. He said the
DC-Baltimore corridor was experiencing the highest rate of commercial
building construction in the country yet he couldn't get workers to
move here. I asked if it was a pay issue since this is a high cost of
living area and he said they were paying union wages plus a 30% cost of
living allowance and even still they were about 50% manned on the three
sites he was a foreman for. Maybe since I grew up in Chicago, moved to
Indianpolis in HS, Lived in Pensacola for flight school, then
Washington state and then Marlyland I've learned that each part of this
country (and our friends to the north Peter!) have something to offer
that's worth seeing so if the jobs worth doing or it's what has to be
done to earn a living I'd be willing to relocate.

Allen
Catonsville, MD (for now)