Rebuking Chimpanzee Capitalism (Labor Offshoring)

You're helping to destroy your own country. It's one thing to make patriotic noises on the 4th of July; it's quite another to help to gut the manufacturing base of your homeland. Do you really want the rest of the country to become like Detroit? Because that's where things are headed ~ Geoffrey James, writing for the personal finance website CBS News Money Watch on 6/27/2011... this being the number 9 reason of the Top 10 Reasons Offshoring is Bad For Business.

Free trade is an awesome deal for the American people; and even if it isn't we must bend to the will of the globalizers as an act of charity to the inhabitants of third world countries. So what if we destroy good paying American jobs in the process? The low paid wage slaves in whatever country we outsource our labor to will gladly accept whatever pittance those who run the transnational corporations deign to gift them.

But, more importantly... this "charity" of ours will result in lower priced goods for us! No matter that some workers here will be screwed and our economy will suffer, LOWER PRICED GOODS for the people who still have jobs (people like a certain politically "moderate" individual I've mentioned here before) are what is important. OK, so the plutocrats will pocket the difference between the good wages they used to pay here and the low wages they can get away with paying abroad.... and make a significant amount of money in the process. But don't think about that! Think about the great charity we are doing these unfortunate people! Sure, the wages might be low and the working conditions quite often are horrific, but they should thank us, none the less.

Why should they thank us? I'm guessing it must be because these third world workers are only deserving of low wages and poor working conditions that may lead to their deaths (suicide, collapsing buildings, etc). Does this sound the least bit racist to you? How about if I told you this "Moderate" referred to this type of labor as chimpanzee jobs? Maybe not, as he is also insulting American workers in addition to foreign workers. But I think he'd call the American workers lazy for taking pride in jobs he wants to export to other countries for the benefit of the plutocrats (primarily).

Specifically this "Moderate" asked me why did I "want to chase these chimpanzee jobs that clearly can be done so much more efficiently overseas?". By "efficient" he means more cheaply. MUCH more cheaply. Do NOT tell me that isn't what he meant, because suggesting American workers are less efficient is outright bullplop. No, Mr. Hart, we all know what you meant with your code word "efficient". More "efficient" workers benefit the consumer (in his mind), which is why he then asked me, "Why do you hate the consumer so much?". But this "efficiency" also benefits the plutocrats (and MUCH more so than the consumer, who it ultimately HURTS).

This is why he'll talk up anyone who shares his misguided views on trade, as evidenced by a post he authored on 6/11/2013, titled "Kenyan Activist and Economist James Shikwati, Unplugged"...

Willis Hart (quoting Shikwati): The anti-globalization crusaders could help Africa more if they would advocate for the promotion of free trade and abolition of subsidies in the West. Lift the protective barrier in the developed countries and allow consumers to sample African products. To empower the poor economically, give them a chance to trade. (6/11/2013 AT 9:48pm).

James Shikwati is a Libertarian economist. Willis forgot to mention that. In addition to his wrong-headed views on globalization, Shikwati also says, "As absurd as it may sound: Development aid is one of the reasons for Africa's problems. If the West were to cancel these payments, normal Africans wouldn't even notice".

Does that sound absurd? You betcha. But this type of absurdity is par for the course when it comes to Libertarians (regardless of race or nationality). University of Columbia economics professor Jeffrey D. Sachs agrees, calling "Shikwati's criticisms of foreign assistance shockingly misguided and amazingly wrong". Sachs correctly points out that "this happens to be a matter of life and death for millions of people, so getting it wrong has huge consequences".

Absolutely. But Shikwati probably doesn't care if the people of Africa suffer because he has a good job (as an economist). As far as his "activism" goes, I say he's an activist all right, an activist for the plutocrats. And I say this with some degree of confidence... because one of the personality traits Libertarians are known for is selfishness.

Those who worship at the altar of the "great" Ayn Rand are convinced that selfishness is a virtue! This explains why the Hartster strongly identifies with Libertarian economics... and adheres to the Libertarian philosophy of "survival of the fittest and screw the poor because they only have themselves to blame... but we'll use them as slave labor to enrich ourselves and call it charity". You KNOW at least some of them have to be laughing about that!

Harsh? No, I think not. These neoliberals (the true believing ones) delude themselves with fictions of it being charitable of us to export good paying American jobs to impoverished nations, but it's total baloney. I'm not opposed to trade. I am actually a strong supporter of trade. What I oppose is that which we call "free trade", but in reality isn't trade at all. Free trade is actually labor offshoring... The large transnational corporations exploiting the workers of poor countries to line their pockets.

I SUPPORT trading with manufacturers located in other nations. Manufacturers that are homegrown and pay living wages, and not simply huge transnationals that are USING a foreign country to exploit it's workers who are so desperate they will work for a pittance and under horrific conditions. THAT is the real debate. But corporate stooges like James Shikwati misrepresent that argument by LYING about the developed nations having a "protective barrier" that does not allow them to "sample African products".

That is complete nonsense. I'm ALL FOR allowing the importation of "African products". I'm OPPOSED to products that used to be made in America being imported sans tariff from any country where the workers are paid low wages (and thereby destroying America Jobs). Fools like Willis supports this when they present the words of Libertarian economists and say "looky here. Listen to the words of a highly educated person who agrees with me". Especially this Libertarian, who Willis clearly believes has authority to speak on the subject, seeing that he is from Africa. But he parrots the same Libertarian garbage as all the other Libertarian economists. Shikwati is no different then them at all.

It is the greedy "Chimpanzee Capitalism" championed by Libertarians we can blame when factories collapse and workers die (for example). A 6/3/2013 Guardian article says "majority of Bangladesh garment factories vulnerable to collapse". A MAJORITY.

Also, remember the Foxconn suicides? Foxconn is a Taiwanese multinational electronics contract manufacturing company that churns out products for companies like Apple, Dell, HP, Motorola, Nintendo, Nokia, and Sony. They exploit Chinese laborers to enrich themselves. Working conditions got so bad that "employees attempted suicide with fourteen deaths; many after working longer than 72 hours with no breaks".

And the Foxconn example is hardly unique. All around the world workers in developing nations are being exploited by transnational corporations for the benefit of the plutocrats... aided by Libertarian economists and the stooges who wittingly or unwittingly propagate their labor offshoring masquerading as "free trade" bunk. I say it is bad for the economies of both developed and developing nations - and we need tariffs to deal curb this abuse. Tariffs that will protect American jobs and greatly benefit our economy.

The "free traders" warn the result will be higher prices, but this is also largely bunk. Reduced outsourcing means more jobs and more economic activity when those workers spend their wages on goods and services. More economic activity gives us a healthier economy that leads to higher wages for all. The prices of goods may rise a little, but we'll all have more money thanks to the increased economic activity. This would be a TRUE case of a rising tide lifts all boats.

When Conservatives use the phrase it's to justify tax cuts for the wealthy, but tax cuts for the wealthy BENEFIT THE WEALTHY, not the rest of us... just like labor offshoring primarily benefits the wealthy and not the rest of us.

SWTD #165, wDel #29.