Re: Overseas Job Migrations - one industry's perspective

"R. Martin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> L Smith wrote:
> > 
> > R. Martin wrote:
> > 
> > > "Now" on PBS tonight had several segments on the changing American
> > >
> > >work force (and what is forcing the changes).  One person said
> > >basically what you said.  There will be winners and losers, but
> > >if the changes in fact increase the size of the pie (which is
> > >what the economists and policy makers tell us will happen when
> > >thay are pushing globalization), then we need to take some of that
> > >increase and use it to help the losers.
> > >
> >   I've seen some people question whether or not the size of the pie
> > really is increasing.
> 
> I agree.  Like I wrote, "if the changes in fact increase the size
> of the pie".  Classical economics says it will, but I generally
> don't have a whole lot of faith in economics as a science, yet.
> 
> > You may have seen some of the recent news reports about a study that
> > says manufacturing
> > jobs are being lost all over the world. Companies everywhere are taking
> > more advantage of
> > automation, so there's less demand anywhere for routine manual labor.
> 
> Supposedly the increase in productivity is one reason for the US's
> "jobless" economic recovery.
> 
> >   I've even seen one comment several years ago (I wish I could remember
> > where) that said
> > in the future, those people who choose to work will be able to produce
> > enough food and
> > basic services that most of the population would not have to work.
> 
> Sounds like Star Trek.  But I find it hard to believe that people
> would choose to do some of the jobs that need to be done unless
> they had to.  You and I might be happy enough to work at our jobs,
> but I can't imagine, for instance, the Roto-Router man, or at least
> most of them, actually preferring to unstop toilets versus some of
> the alternatives, like just taking a walk in the park.  I could be
> wrong.  Or maybe the march of science and technology will produce
> clogless toilets, or maybe swarms of nanobots that we can dump
> down the john like Draino to clean the pipes.  "Mister Scott,
> report to Captain Kirk's cabin and bring the nanobots." :-)

Considering plumbers make over $70/hr, unstopping toilets doesn't
sound like a bad deal for a few years.