Reverse brain drain threatens U.S. economy

[NeoConsSuck]

Second, American firms are contributing aggressively to the reverse brain drain. For decades, they shifted blue-collar manufacturing jobs to parts of the world with low labor costs and acceptable quality standards. Now, they are outsourcing knowledge work — engineering, software, product design and development — to such countries as China, India and Russia. Intel CEO Craig Barrett has warned that Russia, China and India already have as many as 250 million to 500 million knowledge workers — the kind of highly educated, technologically skilled employees who can write computer code, design sophisticated products and manage high-end production processes.

Companies that contract with these foreign workers are, in effect, outsourcing their brains. In the short term, they may save money and boost profits. In the longer run, they outsource creativity and, gradually, erode their capacity to generate new products and services.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2004-02-23-economy-edit_x.htm

[Frances]

1. I'm glad to see this article

in a mainstream newspaper.

I don't think enough people in this country "get it."

I heard Nader the day he announced his candidacy and I understood him to say that the U.S. was attracting brains from other countries. Sadly, according to this article, the reverse is true.

We need more politicians speaking out about the MANY dangers of outsourcing.

[JCMach1]

2. There will also be a REAL brain drain if the economy worsens

I am an example of one of those economic refugees.

[tom_paine]

5. That doesn't consider what happens when the Imperials ramp up

their Soviet-like surveillance and arrest activities.

I imagine, considering this has already happened to other nations, most notably Nazi Germany, that a much larger portion of people thiking of fleeing now will run faster than they did during 1930s Germany.

[cryofan]

3. also creating more competition

I suppose in the LONG RUN it will generate a bigger pie, but who gives a fuck---we'll all be dead (maybe from starvation :-) )

[megatherium]

4. What really really gets my goat

is when they piously say they need to do this because Americans aren't getting science, mathematics or engineering degrees. But who in hell is going to bother when they see how little regard for their talent our corporate masters have?

Maybe engineers can organize or something.

[Beetwasher]

6. It's Not Just Tech People Either, It's Scientists Too

All the cutting edge scientific research is leaving this country because of this idiotic admin. This will have a severely negative impact on the future of this country.