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Mass OLPC Production Begins
eldavojohn writes to tell us that mass production of the first XO laptops has officially started. "The commencement of mass production means children in developing nations could have the rugged, open-source laptops in hand starting this month. The OLPC has already announced orders for kids in Uruguay and Mongolia. (Residents of the U.S. and Canada participating in the Give 1 Get 1 program--which donates an XO to a child in a developing nation for every machine sold online--are expected to start getting laptops in December.)"
Spoken like someone who's never lost their job to outsourcing.
Working Americans, sadly unlike both their governors and their foreign replacements, have the curse of honesty and responsibility. The foreigner has no stake or interest in the public welfare, as they come seeking only immediate opportunity. Having no connection or involvement with the majority of citizens, they are willing to perform difficult labor, yes; I have no problem with this per se. However, as they experience such an increase in standard-of-living in their immigration, they are then willing within their field to perform the most odious tasks in gratitude. They will manufacture the most dangerous goods, consent to adulteration of foodstuffs with diseased or fouled meat, generate the most slipshod engineering projects. They will do this in ignorance of the crime they are perpetuating for their (wealthy and white) masters.
No, I am not entitled to employment automatically. However, the foreign laborer (intellectual or non-), is a threat to the honest American in a much broader sense: they are willing to do jobs which oughtn't be done, in ways which are dishonest and long-term damaging. We have made incredible progress in our safety and way-of-living. Apart from our near-forgotten triumphs such as the moon landing and development of atomic power, &c., it is our only contribution. In importing and expecting labor of a third-world standard, we are cashing this in and for whose benefit?
And now, dear Reader, whether you agree or not, I ask you only whether I am trolling. I do not know any more.
There are two ways to compete. One is to offer the same product for less. The other is to offer a better product for more. Since you can't lower your price, improve your product.
Ask yourself this: how can BMW compete with bicycle manufacturers? You probably think I'm insane to ask this question, and rightfully so. The two products are totally different. Sure, the BMW costs two orders of magnitude more money, but it provides a completely different experience.
So you must be with the outsourced people.
I have a good job, I'm paid well, I enjoy my work, and I have no fear that outsourcing is ever going to harm me. Why? Because I'm an expert in several niche fields that the diploma mills will never touch. Sure, if you need somebody to mindlessly monitor your network or write unbelievably bad PHP code for a login page, find some cut-rate guy in India, but if you need true expertise on the complicated subjects I'm good with, you won't find anyone in third-world countries willing to do it for the sum total of my monthly cable bill.
Expensive Westerners with first-world costs of living are good at tasks requiring a great deal of creativity and independent thought. If you possess a great deal of creativity and independent thought, you have nothing to worry about. If your skills are so shitty that you're afraid that some noodlehead living out of a shack is going to be able to do the same thing you do, then answer me this: why do you deserve a job?