The FedEx Guy's Sidekick
I'm back in the ranks of the employed, sort of. I'm a a FedEx driver's assistant. Until Christmas, after which the delivery volume drops and he no longer needs an assistant.
I have mad tech skills, that are now available for real cheap from India.
Remember when we were thinking telecommuting was such a cool thing, how we could have city jobs and rural homes? Turns out that dream has a dark side.
Don't let the bastards tell you your job was stolen by an illegal immigrant. That illegal immigrant is competing far more fairly for the jobs than the guy at the other end of the wire. He has to pay about the same rent as you do, buy the same expensive food, pay most of the same taxes - and if you go under the table, you can skip those just as easily as he can. But most importantly, he's spending money in your economy. He may be sending some home, but most of the money he's getting paid goes right back into the local economy. The money that goes to the tech support guy or the programmer or the web developer in India is 100% GONE. OK, maybe 99.95% gone, maybe he'll buy a DVD or something.
The illegal immigrant might take the job I have now. The innovative high tech job I used to have, the one where I was making American industry more competitive and doing some real good for the economy, the Republicans applauded that being taken by a foreigner - not someone who is trying to become an American, not someone with a growing loyalty to and stake in America, a permanent foreigner.
The illegal immigration "crisis" is like somebody shoplifting in the factory outlet store while the assembly line gear is being loaded onto trucks after having been sold cheap to the competitor by an embezzling CEO.
Bitter? Me? Surely you jest...
Comments
Mike - Your analysis is persuasive. Tom Friedman and his friends benefit from the world-flattening effects of globalization, but the regular working person - not so much.
By the way, I miss the founder here (Melanie) - I presume she's been unable to post due to illness.
Posted by: Freddy el Desfibradddoro | November 22, 2006 12:04 PM
you make some great points Mike. Some real insights.
Posted by: Dale | November 22, 2006 06:47 PM
I don't remember what gem of wisdom I was going to leave you with last week, but oh well.
Any word from Melanie lately?
Posted by: grannyinsanity | December 2, 2006 06:24 PM
Economics as reality, a novel concept! Anger can be productive, but bitter sours the soul. Having done both, I understand and empathize. And encourage you to go with the anger.
Besides, without the added experience of your current temp job, how would you know the joy of being a Santa's elf?
Unfortunately, the controllers of capital often devalue labor, to stretch their bottom line. And the only way I've been able to determine how to get off the treadmill they run, is to figure out a way to create your own capital.
The odds are long against that, but everything else leaves us at the mercy of some bastard.
Taking the long view, however, the greatest capital we all can create is the circle of friends who love us and grant us the grace of loving them.
Posted by: Kevin Hayden | December 3, 2006 01:51 AM