The Old Joel on Software Forum: Part 4 (of 5) - Washtec proposed ad -- worth a read

Washtec proposed ad -- worth a read

Washtec is a bit leftie for me -- they advocate unions for tech people, and I don't think I'd be willing to become a union member... I'm more of a free market type, but the current markets are not free -- but I like the ad they want to run later this year in major papers and magazines.

http://www.washtech.org/wt/outsourcing_ad.php

It's certainly worth a read. The proposed ad is short and succinct. I just made a (first time ever) donation based on the ad text, and I'm not a joiner or much of a political advocate.

ThrowTheBumsOut
Wednesday, April 7, 2004

Ah... I see links are apparently not allowed. Washtech.org/wt/images/CWAWashHiTech_v2r5.pdf will take you there.

My apologies if I'm disobeying any site rules. If so, pls let me know. Thanks....

ThrowTheBumsOut
Wednesday, April 7, 2004

If you are in favor of free markets, why would you support this group. I don't follow your reasoning. What does "the current markets are not free" mean? How are they not free? And how does running this ad change any of that?

Wednesday, April 7, 2004

Free markets are a con job, you dork. Free markets mean corporations are free to do what they want, which means senior managements get richer while the rest of us get poorer.

Freedom means Daryl with his MBA gets $250,000 because he says that's what he's worth, while Julie the programmer scrounges for $60,000, even though she thinks she's worth the same as Daryl. That's free markets.

Wednesday, April 7, 2004

The fact that democracies and capitalist societies have the highest standards of living on the planet is quite simply not an issue here. We should definitely get government more involved in running businesses, like they did in the Soviet Union ("Bread lines" - just big business FUD. Honest)

Philo

Philo
Thursday, April 8, 2004

Shrinkwrap software depends on gov't intervention; we argue it is best for society if law-abiding citizens are stopped from copying certain numbers from computer to computer. So while I don't like intrusion, we can't keep pulling out the Government Intrusion card when we tell the BSA to audit businesses who might be copying numbers.

Tayssir John Gabbour
Thursday, April 8, 2004

You're so right Philo.

Corporations should be free to hire 8 year old children, dilute food with cheap substitutes swept from the factory floor, cut down forests and assassinate rivals, as they do in South America.

How could I have been so ill-informed?

Thursday, April 8, 2004

Another view of "free markets":

http://www.uaw.org/atissue/atstory.cfm?atId=78

Not a Capitalist
Thursday, April 8, 2004

The fact that Japan (where the government is involved in big business) has the highest standards of living on the planet and the Asian tigers have the highest growth rate
on the plant, is quite simply not an issue here. We should definitely get government less involved in running
businesses, like we forced the Asian tigers to do in 97
(Oops!) or we told Japan in the early 90s (Oops!)
The Asian crash and the Japanese - just lefty FUD, right
Philo?

Ali
Thursday, April 8, 2004

"""How are they not free? """

There's a bajillion regulations on trade, and that's just in the US. If you want to import/export, then there's another bajillion regulations. If you can even import/export what you want.

For example, it's easy to export your job to India, but it's very hard to export any goods there. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/165057_outsourcing17.html

Thursday, April 8, 2004

If exporting is so hard for American industry because the rest of the world is ganging up on it, how come I am wearing American shoes, American jeans, and typing on an American keyboard using American software, ahd have been doing the same for longer than I can remember?

And can all of you guys in Peoria or wherever post in to say how easy it is in your town to see a Croatian film for example?

Stephen Jones
Thursday, April 8, 2004

Stephen Jones ,

World trade 101: Not all countries have the same rules and restrictions?

only have an 81 IQ and still pegged it
Thursday, April 8, 2004

"how come I am wearing American ...."

I'm not here to defend the united states, but personal anecdotes don't really make for a sound argument re: trade policy.

Thursday, April 8, 2004

"world is ganging up on it"

Actually, I never even said this. You must have quite the ax to grind!!

Thursday, April 8, 2004

Stephen,
I would be interested in what Jeans, shoes and keyboard you have. Keyboards are almost exclusivly build in Asia, while Jeans and shoes are rare to be created in the US.

While they may have US manufacturers names on them, that does not make them made in the US.

As for fair trade, my proposal is simple, if your country does not have the same trade policies as ours, you get a tariff until you do. As many have pointed out, the issue with India is not free trade it is fair trade. Indian law prevents employers from displacing Indian workers. You want to trade in India? You have to build and employ there.

Anonanonanon
Thursday, April 8, 2004

Nazis

me
Thursday, April 8, 2004