Why Outsourcing Hurts Us
Posted By: HappyHippo on 2005-08-25
In Reply to:
Interesting article!
http://www.vdare.com/roberts/050822_hegemony.htm
America's Lost Hegemony
By Paul Craig Roberts
The historian who chronicles America's decline will lay the blame on free market ideology.
I say this as a believer in the market. My books and scholarly articles demonstrate the superiority of market systems over government allocative schemes. The problem arises when market economics ceases to be thoughtful and becomes ideological or a dogma.
A good example of the latter is a recent Heritage Foundation study that argues that global outsourcing is the best way to equip the US military with the best technology at least expense. The study brushes away concerns with the erosion of the American manufacturing, science, and engineering knowledge base by asserting that such concerns imply protectionism and that protectionism means the death of innovation. ['Buy America' Provisions Don't Help Homeland Security or National Defense by Alane Kochems, June 21, 2005]
Protectionism can be problematical for innovation, and the study is correct to point this out. Where the study fails is in ignoring that innovation does not take place in a vacuum. Innovation requires a material base and depends on a strong manufacturing, science and engineering foundation backed by R&D programs.
In an interview with Manufacturing & Technology News (August 8), the study's project leader, Jack Spencer, sees protectionism as the only threat to American innovation, which he otherwise takes for granted:
"Our belief is that subjected to the free market, the United States is still going to produce most things because our comparative advantages are innovation and new technology. If liberated from protectionism, we can compete and that is where we will always emerge as winners." [Heritage Foundation Says Congress, DOD Should Learn To Live With Globalization; Providing Troops With Best Equipment Usurps Making It In America by Richard McCormack]
This belief is simply untrue. As this belief is the basis for the study, the study has done nothing but confirm a preordained belief.
The US has no God-given comparative advantage in innovation and new technology. We were leaders in these fields, because we were leaders in manufacturing.
We were leaders in manufacturing, because Europe and Japan destroyed themselves in wars, and the rest of the world destroyed themselves in various forms of socialism and cronyism.
America's hegemony in manufacturing, science and engineering was the product of historical circumstances. Moreover, it occurred despite American protectionism.
The historical circumstances have changed. The US gave away its scientific and engineering education and its agriculture. It did this partly for idealistic reasons and partly as cold war strategy.
Once socialism collapsed in Asia, US corporations began outsourcing abroad the manufacture of products for US markets. Success with offshore manufacturing has led to offshore outsourcing of research and development and now innovation itself.
As a recent report from the National Research Council recognizes, "product development and technical support follow manufacturing." One consequence for America is the loss of many manufacturing capabilities and "the increasing availability abroad of unique technologies not found in the United States."
This development is taking a huge toll on America's human resources in manufacturing skills, engineering and science. The first American victims were blue collar workers. Millions of them lost their jobs and experienced sharp declines in the quality of their lives. But as research, engineering, design, and innovation followed manufacturing abroad, now it is white collar workers in information technology and university graduates in engineering and physics who are being displaced.
American university enrollments in science and engineering are declining because there are no jobs for graduates. It is pointless to invest money, sweat and toil in an education that has no payoff. Markets do work. Markets are working to shrink the demand for, and supply of, American engineers and scientists.
The next impact is going to be on project manager jobs, practically the sole remaining source of career related employment for many engineers and technical people. Project management jobs require people experienced with the technology of the job. The loss of technical and engineering jobs empties the pipeline of people who have the experience to assume management positions. Far from being able to innovate, the US will even lack the human resources to manage technical and scientific projects.
Many uninformed people believe the problem is that America doesn't produce enough scientists and engineers. Manufacturing & Technology News reports that "a group of 15 US business organizations has launched a national campaign aimed at doubling within 10 years the number of bachelor's degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics."
What is the point of this when there is a huge supply of unemployed engineers and technical people who have been displaced by offshore outsourcing and by H-1b and L-1 work visas for foreigners? I know an American software engineer in his thirties whose job was outsourced. After searching fruitlessly for a job for four years, he took a job in Thailand writing software programs for $850 per month.
The anecdotal stories are legion. Yesterday, a friend reported to me that the service technician who repaired his garage door opener said his company was flooded with resumes from college graduates and engineers who cannot find work and are willing to take jobs installing garage doors.
US executives, with an eye to quarterly earnings and their bonuses, continue to spend considerable resources lobbying for increases in work visas that enable them to replace their American engineers, scientists, and technical people with lower cost foreigners. These executives lie through their teeth when they assert the lack of qualified Americans for the jobs. The fact of the matter is, the executives force their American employees to train their foreign replacements and then fire their American workers.
In a word, American capitalism is destroying itself by dismantling the ladders of upward mobility that have made large income inequalities acceptable. By rewarding themselves for destroying American jobs and manufacturing, engineering and scientific capabilities, US executives are sowing a whirlwind. American political stability will not survive the turning of an American university degree into a worthless sheet of paper. Libertarians and free market ideologues who rejoice in freedom should open their eyes to freedom's destruction.
Dr. Roberts, [email him] a former Associate Editor of the Wall Street Journal and a former Contributing Editor of National Review, was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury during the Reagan administration. He is the author of The Supply-Side Revolution and, with Lawrence M. Stratton, of The Tyranny of Good Intentions : How Prosecutors and Bureaucrats Are Trampling the Constitution in the Name of Justice. Click here for Peter Brimelow's Forbes Magazine interview with Roberts about the recent epidemic of prosecutorial misconduct.
COPYRIGHT CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
Complete Discussion Below:  marks the location of current message within thread
The messages you are viewing
are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select
the boards given in left menu
Other related messages found in our database
I know it hurts, but it hurts a lot worse when you
don't have a million(s) dollar salary and you have children involved that will be emotionally damaged for life regardless.
I'm not bitter, he was abusive and I didn't like him anyway after a while. It was over 20 years ago, but my 2 kids (notice I said "my" and not "our") still have emotional issues after years of counseling.
Hey, I learned how to make a can of "Spaghetti-O's" feed 3. And when the "father" had to start actually paying court ordered child support, he cut off ties with my kids.
Been with my second hubby for 13 years and he's a great guy. He gets the Father's Day cards. If he cheats and I find out, he won't have a leg to stand on. Not because I'll take the chainsaw to him, but because I got wise years ago and everything is in MY NAME.
"As God is my witness, I will NEVER go hungry again!"
So sorry, I know how it hurts
nm
It hurts a bit - think of something else...
I have the ubiquitous shoulder tattoo (Pegasus) and I also have a custom design on the soft, inner part of my forearm. I like that one best because I can see the whole thing without getting into contortions. It has been touched up one time - the color red fades over time. Yeah, things change as you age, so what?
I got both after age 50 (over 10 years ago) and have never regretted it.
Never hurts to try!
I just got some the cover-your-whole-ear noise canceling headphones. They are Logitech and I got them at Staples for about 55.00. They are the best ones I have ever used. I got some stethoscope style ones not too long ago at Transcription Gear.com and they did not last more than a month. I did not even try to take them back though, I just hate returning things I buy on the internet.
Never hurts to ask. All they can do is say no!
nm
it hurts me too, but --sm
it would not necessarily be that way, the us vs them factor, if someone from either *side* had not criticised in the first place. It is what I call *defense mode*. what ever happened to the saying *if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all?* Why can't we all just get along rather than starting a war over simple *words*? just a thought.
It never hurts to ask. nm
that hurts to look at
Please never clatch two numerals together like that for no other reason than it hurts the eyes.
cherrypicking hurts EVERYONE sm
you are supposed to be part of a team! Do you even know or care what that means? As the other poster stated, SHAME ON YOU! 
It never hurts to try. It's actually, I thought,
easy to learn and I really liked it. Although, bear in mind, it has a language all it's own but once you catch on, you will do fine. Give it a shot. You have other transcription experience so that would be a big plus as well.
Tailbone hurts
Need advice, my tailbone just started hurting about 2 months ago for no reason, have a Herman Miller Aeron chair that has been the best, but now need some relief for my tailbone. My rearend does not hurt, just my tailbone. Went on line and the good doughnut pillows are tailbone pillows are very expensive, anyone have any cheap home solutions?
i know that hurts but here are a few thoughts....
put the emphasis on your own mother, show them how a mother should be honored on that day (and always) and throw a huge party for your own mother next year. 3 siblings and I did that yesterday (which was also my mom's birthday) and the fact that my two grown children came and brought me little gifts as well was just frosting on the cake, and that had not happened for many many years! Try not to hold the hurt in and just resolve to show them you love them "just because" next time you see them!
It never hurts to include her even if she
doesn't come. It is about not having regrets. If you know that you always made an effort ...then in the end you will have peace about it.
Truth always hurts...
Hostility saying did not think a nurse should have some kind of background in transcribing??? That would be like my not having to have study in order to be a nurse. Stand by what I said in the first place, and you are the one talking about being "seasoned" as if 18 years made an authority. I never brought up my life, career or anything else in my post. Like I said, not anything ugly in my first post and stand behind what I said, a nurse still needs more than an RN license to transcribe. Oh, hey my husband drives an 18 wheeler. I also drive- does that mean I can drive one of those??? Double duh....
My wrist hurts sometimes....sm
And one time my elbow and all up my arm was hurting. I think I need to find some good wrist supports. I have bought 2 different pairs but I can't do the ones with the fingers on them. I need the ones that are just the wrist and no fingers.
I bought one of those, but it hurts my shoulder.
They're awkward to shove around and very loud. The only reason I bought it was because my good vacuum was in the shop. (12 year old Electrolux) Strange how different perception can be from one person to another. My husband keeps trying to give away my Dirt Devil, but I like it for cleaning out the cars.
really the only violation is if they hear it and use it in some way that hurts you...
people keep thinking HIPAA violation is just knowing it. It's not. It also has to be harmful to the patient in some way. Remember this whole thing started because some stu*id pharm tech came home and told her high school kid that Mr. So and So came in and got AIDS medicine, then her stu*id high school kid went to school and told other kids and that is how Mr. So and So's daughter found out her father has AIDS.
It hurts me to see this 'us VS them' mentality......sm
As far as critical thinking in nursing, it means something completely different that it does in MT.
Many of the errors that we see in reports these days are a product of VR. The push is on the MT to produce more and more reports for less and less compensation and unfortunately, some things get missed ----- and yes, they are sometimes hysterically funny. Being a former MT, I always let the person reading the report know that the account is being done by VR (which is true at the hospital where I work) and not a "for real" MT. Not one person that I have spoken to about VR had any inkling this was the case.
I worked as a trainer for a national and can tell you personally that I trained RNs who wanted to make the transition to MT. Some were excellent, some marginally OK, and some just terrible. I am sure that if the reverse were true, some MTs would make excellent nurses, some would be just marginal, and some would be just terrible.
There are different skill sets involved in these two jobs. If a patient were going bad, I wouldn't care if the nurse had good grammar and could spell, as long as she knew what to do clinically for the patient. By the same token, if an MT can produce an accurate, grammatically correct medical record (something that "verbatim" is making obsolete LOL) I wouldn't care if that MT couldn't insert a Foley catheter or start an IV.
I think it's just a case of not having a working understanding of each other's skill sets.
Just something to consider.
snow hurts my eyes
too much glare. It blocks my rays!
My heart hurts. I love House.
I've loved the Stacy/House story. That episode with the kiss in the hotel room while he was on the phone? Man. Can I just say under this cloak of anonymity that I didn't fall asleep on the couch that night. Well, I guess that's beside the point. I love that show..I love House. Hugh Laurie is so great in that role. I really wanted that story line to continue. I like Sela Ward and I hope she comes back. That forbidden romance story line is too good to let go. I think he let her go for more than one reason. He loves her but he is afraid. He knows that he can't change and he knows that at some point she will need more, like he said. He would rather let her go now, back to her husband who I think he likes. He doesn't want to hurt the guy, even though he's in love with his wife. If he lets her go now, she gets to stay in her marriage. He knows that if she stays with House, she will lose her marriage, and eventually things will go wrong with House, and they will both be losers in love. Make sense? 
Not having standards hurts. Some work types just (sm)
don't add up line wise as quick as others. For me Ops are the best line count, consults and discharge summaries are killers.
What good is "sacrafice" if it hurts, not helps,
x
It hurts to pick up a cup of coffee. I do not play tennis
but according to my symptoms, tennis elbow is the diagnosis. Am using a heating pad which gives me relief while it is in place. Am wondering if using the mouse caused this. Made it to 47 without CTS after typing MT since age 19 and have tennis elbow!
I am wondering if this is prominent in those who have been MTs.
Hate is like acid; it hurts the container it is stored in
You really should let it all go.
Only one knee hurts, have trouble with full extension
so I learned how to work the foot pedal with the other leg. The more I keep my post surgical knee bent, the tighter the muscles coming into the back of the joint get. I have to stand and toe and heel stretch to work out the stiffness. Summer will be here soon and swimming does wonders for the knees...it always makes my flares go away.
I agree that if it hurts the patient's care you should speak up.
s
Absolutely Hysterical!! We did not stop laughing. My side hurts. nm
nm
Actually, NOT having open credit accounts hurts your FICO score.
I closed my credit cards 10 years ago and paid them all off. All I have left is my student loan and my mortgage, which are both paid on time every month. You'd think that would show me as a responsible consumer because I pay cash for everything and don't live off of credit. Instead, my FICO score stinks now because my available credit to my used credit shows as maxed out. It's complete bunk. People are rewarded for using credit while responsible people who pay cash are punished by this FICO system. I have a 4% interest rate on my mortgage, but the credit union tried to milk me at 12% interest on a car loan when they advertised 5% because of my FICO score. My only option is to open up some credit cards or something, but then that shows as excessive inquiries or too much new credit.
Never an easy decision ... you have my sympathy. Pets are part of the family ... hurts to lose them
x
How is this political? This is a state of living, not bickering political points. Truth hurts...NM
nm
This has not always been the case, hence it hurts more. Merit raise/cost of living raise
dd
OUTSOURCING....
http://msn.com.com/2100-9589_22-5757832.html?part=msn&subj=ns_5757832&tag=tg_itdc
outsourcing
In this day and age, especially with globalization, any one of us can be replaced quite easily..not just in the MT field, in all fields. When I heard they are outsourcing radiology work to India and hospitals are letting some radiologists go, I almost choked! The other day when I called the local court house to postpone my jury duty service, I talked with a lady who had a thick Indian accent. I was tempted to ask, are you in India.
outsourcing ad
about 20 or so posts down, subject "censorship" ... two advertisements at top of page, one soliciting transcription to be sent to india for great savings, etc. outrageous.
Outsourcing
Great article-- but do you think the CEOs care? They are too busy with their big 6-7 figure salaries and bonuses to worry about us. All they care about is the bottom line-- how to save an extra nickel so they can line their pockets and buy that new yacht every year. 
Outsourcing
I think it will get to the point where everybody will outsource at least some of the work. With all these companies begging for employees it doesn't seem like there's enough of us. The employer I just left was a private owned company and one of the biggest accounts decided to outsource. Don't know who they chose to do this for them, they didn't say, but my income was cut from 4500. a month to 1300. a month. Right now just desperate for a good job.
outsourcing
No way. It's here to stay. There just aren'the enough transcriptionists out there to do all the work and turn it around as quickly as it is expected these days. I would not worry. There is enough work for everyone.
Outsourcing
...I hear you. The more we rely on technology, the greater the risk, and the more our private information goes bye-bye to India, Timbuktu, or where ever, the greater the risk we are putting ourselves. Interesting to find out China, the sleeping giant, has thrown out all things MICROSOFT in the country. See, there're thinking ahead, years down the road. They use only Linux, won't chance anything to a world wide shut down someday by terrorists or otherwise. THAT, I find interesting. I also wonder if our powerful men in politics, especially our President and his administration have arranged to keep their private healthcare records state side ... hmmmmm...
outsourcing
I agree with the posters. Check your medical reports, some of them contain serious errors, I was misdiagnosed in an op report as having a serious condition I was determined "not" to have.
I also was treated like a common criminal by a foreign country because I bought a laptop from someone who lost their job in 9/11. I paid a little more than I should have because I felt sorry for him and unless I pretended to be "him" they would not help me. I finally after two months got the right part from an American company and my laptop worked just fine after two shipments of the wrong part and a whole lot of aggravation and misinformation.
They are a third world country and we will take their place soon if we don't watch out. They'll be taking over more than our jobs. It's very dangerous. It is life-threatening as far as information goes. Some will be saving money but losing lives.
outsourcing
What worries me is it's bad enough when they mess with our finances because they don't understand how things work in our country. But now with transcription being outsourced, they are literally messing with our lives! A transcription mistake of left versus right, Klonopin versus Clonidine, 0.5 mg versus 50 mg, could mean disfigurement or death if not caught in time by an overworked nurse or doctor.
Outsourcing...
In response to: People say outsourcing will happen.....It is happening!! There are a few National companies (which will go unnamed, but you know who they are) who have contracts with facilities who know the work is being outsourced and they want it because it cut their line rates significantly. This is our biggest competition right now. Overseas, the piddly line rates of 6 cents/line is a lot of money to those people. They are getting better and better at it (the offshore countries), and in time, they will be so good that there will be little editing needed. It is just like newbies here in the US, it just takes time for them to improve and learn...and before you know it, we'll wake up one day and poof...very little if any work in US, all overseas! It is a global economy and what we think is peanuts, they think is a fortune! I am currently retraining in another profession (nutrition) because I have been watching this evolution for the past 7-10 years. I managed a company back in 1997 that first sent transcription overseas and I had to proof and edit that crap! I think in 9 years, they are probably getting better at it and with time, they will improve even more. Don't be so sure that outsourcing will not continue to be a current event! IMHO.
Outsourcing
I originally posted this on the "Company Board," but one kind soul there suggested I repost it on the Main Board, so here it goes:
I'll tell you my personal take on this. I'm a very small MTSO and am fighting like heck to keep my jobs in the good old USA - hiring only Americans, etc.
We face stiff competition from companies who offshore, use EMR, etc. I charge my clients what the market will bear. I've already had to lower my rates to 2 of my largest clients because even at the lower cpl rates I was charging them at the time, they were ready to walk to India, and in fact were testing out some Indian MT companies - this after I had, in fact, already lost 2 other doctors' offices to offshore Indian companies. I feel I am fair and pay my IC transcriptionists 2/3 of whatever I make from my clients. But whenever I advertise for experienced transcription help, I am pretty much told to go jump in the lake with the rates that I'm able to afford to pay, even though it's good, steady work. So the bottom line is that I really find it difficult to get any competent help from American MTs. Not that there aren't many around, just that I and many like me can't afford them. Not blaming the MTs (American OR Indian) for wanting to make a living either, I'm just saying this to demonstrate the dilemma I find myself in. I suspect it's the same for other small MTSOs. Can't really raise my rates, because from prior experience, many doctors offices have no scruples about sending work offshore. I've never resorted to offshoring anything, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted.
Not singing the blues, just telling the facts. Personally, I'd rather be selling hotdogs on the beach.
outsourcing
I am the only Transcriptionist in a doctor's office. We started sending some work to a transcription company in November and later found out they were outsourcing to India. I thought my doctors would be upset, but guess what??? NO!!! It has been the biggest "mess" for me to correct. It has been far more trouble for me than if I just typed everything. I started leaving all the blanks, etc. and let the doctors start dealing with this and as of 6/15/07 we are no longer using that transcription company. We found someone locally (IC) who is typing our work for the same amount per line. YEAH!!!!!
ASR/VR/Outsourcing
Right. Hopefully the other companies do not do the same as Medquist. One company can ruin it for everybody.
The truth of the matter is if you can get the same item at a different store for half the price, you are going to go to that store to get it (which in turn would cause the other stores to have to lower their price).
I am just putting a warning out there for people to know that this is out there. Medquist will tell you that you will be able to produce more work and will lower your cpl to 5 cents/line; however, as you said, the quality VR puts out is horrible and it takes just as long to edit the VR work as it would to type it. They (Medquist) are also outsourcing work to the Phillipines. Our pay is lowered as the cost of living goes up.
maybe it goes along with outsourcing.
If you can outsource paperwork, why not babies? The article says all nationalities are involved. It does make one wonder.
Outsourcing sm
Our jobs are going overseas and I had an idea! Lets outsource the US Government to India.
I'd bet it would cost a lot less. When candidates are running for office, they can use those Indian phone banks to explain their platforms. The accents are thick, but what does it matter? Politicians are not outstanding speakers and when it comes to listening to the people their skills are nil. Employ an Indian to run your rhetoric...raise funds...and sit in a caucus.
Let Indians do the accounting for the feds. I am willing to bet that for 3 cents a line a "highly educated" Indian could find all the wastage of $100 hammers and $1000 toilet seats. Let them type up bills to be put before congress, they type cheap and we all know that. I can't speak for the accuracy, but it is CHEAP.
Better yet, buy American! Shun the goods from China, India, and all those third world countries. Keep it at home.
And um, Mr. President? Exporting democracy doesn't mean you export American jobs...
Outsourcing
Can anyone enlighten me just how an individual such as myself could check to see if a company that adverises on MT Job Boards has any affiliations with India or outsourcing? Thanks for your help.
Not outsourcing
All our hospitals/facilities Outsource - to us.- so unless we all want to loose our jobs, we need to be careful what we complain about. It's Offshoring that we're protesting.
outsourcing
I recently lost my job due to outsourcing and it is killing me emotionally. I loved the company had been with them for a year and it was okay, could have been better but I felt good about the work, company etc. Monday, got the call and just been ship wrecked every since. I expected more out of them...nothing like we will find you another account, it was just we are going to be sending it to India due to the cost. I am still hurting from it....not really financially, but mentally.
Outsourcing
Our manager has fought off that demon more than once. She is very supportive of in-house transcription. It's great to have someone finally stand up for us!!!
Outsourcing
I just have to vent my frustration! I had an appointment with my orthopedic doctor this morning and we started on the subject of transcription. When I asked if he had inhouse or a service he told me they send all their work to India. They have several physicians and PACs which dictate and they were spending over $100,000 a year for transcription. Their service was charging them .12 a line. They pay .06 a line in India. Obviously the service could not compete. :( I should have asked him about quality and TAT!
|
