Globalization and the American Worker

These past few weeks have been long. I am finally wrapping up my high school career and moving on to bigger and better things. It has been a while since my last post, but now I'm back.

      Those who know me understand that I am a strong advocate of foreign aid and other forms of United States international affairs, or at least I hope that they do. I believe that this nation's superpower status deeply relies on its relationships with other nations, both industrialized and developing. Trade between the USA and its economic partners is imperative to maintain the global economy. In no way do I believe that the United States of America should isolate itself. But I have one concession to make.
     In the 1980s, American manufacturing firms began moving a great deal of their labor from their home to poor, developing nations in East Asia and South America. They claimed, accurately, that products manufactured by this cheaper labor would bring a higher profit margin and help United States corporations sell their products for a lower cost. The public understandably welcomed this change. After all, they would be paying less for just about everything they could buy.
     The true cost of this change, however, was considerably higher than people believed. It was also dangerously invisible. Companies saw their bottom lines remain stagnant while others were seeing huge increases since exploiting cheap labor in China, Bangladesh, and India. They inevitably panicked. They laid off workers and shut down factories that in some cases had been in operation for over a century (see Levi's). Working men and women were left out in the cold. Too many factory workers struggled to support their families. Their kids went hungry. The government was not untouched. Unemployed factory workers were not able to pay taxes. Instead, they needed to borrow from their countrymen to sustain themselves, putting them to shame. Schools were closed and essential services such as police and fire were cut back because of the newfound (and currently remaining) budget deficits.
     There has also been a more subtle detractor to outsourcing. American corporations such as Boeing and General Electric that spend a great deal of capital on research and development have moved much of their manufacturing to nations that have very little regard for intellectual property. The rate of reverse engineering of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner wings, GE's jet engine parts, and other high technology products is quite high, proving that outsourcing is not only detrimental to the United States, but is also a poor business decision.
     Factories and the workers that operated them have effectively made the United States an industrial and economic giant. Since the colonists first landed at Jamestown, the integrity of this great nation was built upon the promise of the American worker. Businesses that put money ahead of morality in conjunction with free trade are unraveling the fabric that has maintained the industrial power of the United States.
     In order to clarify my purpose, I will concede that I am relatively conservative. I believe in capitalism and the free market. I understand the importance of the private sector in the United States and appreciate its efficiency and dedication to performance. However, in my eyes, the American worker should always come first. In my eyes, the conservative state of mind revolves around the idea of the value of the individual. Betraying American workers by replacing them with the foreign working poor does not respect the value of the individual.
     The modern world is a global one, and I truly believe that this nation is committed to making the world a better place. In order for the United States to remain strong and capable of providing foreign aid, its people need to realize the true cost of outsourcing and understand the value of the American worker.