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  • From: internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org (David R. Matusiak)
  • Subject: [internetworkers] where your job is headed ...
  • Date: Sat, 1 Feb 2003 15:44:03 -0500

more alignment than discord lies herewithin:

On Friday, January 31, 2003, at 08:45 AM, Roger Austin wrote:

> David R. Matusiak wrote:
>> now we're all a bunch of ungrateful whiners 'cause we are watching
>> our potentials for making a decent living go to countries/societies
>> that most likely don't give a damn about the United States (besides
>> sucking money out of us, that is).
>
> I didn't say you were "ungrateful".
/implied
> I don't see a point in whining about something out of your control, or
> perhaps, not even true. Is the apparent lack of jobs in your area due
> to outsourcing to other countries? I don't think so. You (not you DRM,
> but the general you) got to deal with reality of the situation.
the *lack* of jobs is from the burst of the tech bubble and a
perpetually dismal economy in the USA. what i am "whining" about is
the soon-to-come major absence of *new* jobs being created within the
USA -- in ANY sector. as far as stimulating growth and rebuilding the
economy, many execs will wind up with great wealth as a result of these
decisions and certain foreign countries will experience great financial
gains, but the average american is going to be jobless, hopeless, and
prone to investigate illegal means of making money (or acquiring food,
for that matter). i will let your imagination wander as to which
illegal trades people will wind up choosing.

as to the "reality of the situation," i have a limited grasp of reality
and can only report that which i see in person and/or read on google
news. this version of reality includes major layoffs and bankruptcies
over the past three years. i've also heard of a few accounting
scandals that left many penniless and others rich as dick cheney. i
hear of cisco and nortel layoffs every 36 hours by special pager
service (and they are two of our biggest employers). i have seen the
hiring freeze at the state level first hand. i also understand that
state employees have not received any pay increases in the last two
years while taxes of all kinds continue to increase and multiply. it
was especially fun to realize that state employees will again not
receive any type of pay increase THIS YEAR, as we were all kindly
informed of via form letter delivered right before christmas. my
reality includes a vision where 1/3 to 1/2 of my friends are jobless,
have been for 6 to 36 months. and these are people who want to work
*and* are talented at what they do. now, i know this is a skewed view
of reality, but its currently the best that i've got.
>
>> we'll i guess if one had lived the majority of their life already and
>> were watching income potentials dwindle, then this would be a popular
>> party line.
>
> Actuarially speaking, my life is about 66% over; however, I got a few
> prime years remaining and hope to work in the IT world for a while
> longer. Is my career in jeopardy due to outsourcing to foreign
> countries? Probably not anywhere near those of lower skilled workers
> from Western North Carolina in the textiles, furniture, and other
> manufacturing industries. In comparison, I have a lot better chance of
> getting another job than an upholsterer from Hickory or a weaving
> mechanic from Morganton. However, some of that luck is due to
> constantly taking classes and being involved. You are doing that in
> the OrangeRoom thing which I admire greatly.
i appreciate the compliment, but we are but a mere few interested geeks
that could soon meet with unfortunate ends via aeroplane or "boating
accident" because of our interests in Open Source Software. these are
dangerous times we are living in and each day it becomes increasingly
obvious that those in most danger are educated, outspoken, and in
opposition to the status quo.
>
>> but for the few of us that work our asses off and /still/ are waiting
>> for a decent wage, this economic news isn't so comforting. oh, great
>> - i can go back to business school and accumulate /more/ student
>> loans!! (still haven't paid off the previous ones). then *I* can be
>> an impotent middle-manager, too!!
>
> Listen dammit, that impotent thing was just a rumor. Just ask...er,
> never mind.
> I spent the last few decades working my ass off too. Sometimes it was
> noticed and sometimes I was a grunt in the backroom. All that is
> irrelevant today when the business looks for younger talent and looks
> at older employees as liabilities. That is of more interest to me than
> whether Rajiv is taking my job away to Bombay.
and this is where our perspectives dovetail nicely to create a
semblance of agreement. there is more and more proof that age
discrimination is hurting our larger population of older workers. you
are very astute to see this as a threat to your earning potentials in
the years to come. while i may not be whining about this today, i
certainly will in the future. and my concerns are only multiplied when
i see public policy and corporate hucksterism work together to exclude
the American worker in the future - regardless of talent,
qualification, or circumstance.
>
>> p.s. i really like giving our money away to foreign countries while
>> US citizens continue to struggle with poverty, malnutrition and
>> illiteracy.
>
> It ain't your money. Poverty, malnutrition, and illiteracy were
> invented in the 3rd world. Our poor would be middle class in > Bangalore.
this i don't understand. while there are bad situations the world
over, if more than a third of my income goes to taxes and social
programs, well, then it *still* is my money. and i get absolutely NO
SAY in how that money is spent or allocated. i don't know if others
have safeguarded measures to keep this money in their pockets -or-
failing that, have direct control over how it is spent, but i'd bet
that information would make a NYTimes bestseller list.

--
"Take my word I'm a madman don't you know." - Bernie Taupin, 1970
--





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