An interesting solution to the Outsourcing 'Problem'

As a radical free market type of guy, I tend to get embarassed when I hear people whining about outsourcing.  We aren't owed jobs and we don't own them.  If you can't find a job you need  to learn a few new tricks, plain and simple.   Few of the anti-outsourcing people seem to get lost on the irony of the fact that they almost assuredly use products made in foreign countries to complain about foreign competition.  So if it's ok for them to use a computer made in another country, why isn't it ok for other people to use software or services made in another country?  Why is it right to force other consumers to pay higher prices because you can't do the same work someone else can for cheap?  And there are certianly instances where outsourcing projects blow up and people make bad mistakes about their outsourcing choices.  That's called the free market and it will correct itself.  Always does, always has (unless you get the government involved).

Anyway, of all the solutions to this supposed 'problem', the fact that it markets correct themselves isn't brought up that often.  What that means is that India is bursting at the seams with brilliant, hardworking and talented people.  In the same vein there are many challenges inherent in working across continents.  Some times those challenges cause big problems.  Some times companies find tremendous value.  Over time people learn from their mistakes, people overseas will work to elminate those challenges and we're all better off for it. Personally, I'd rather just have an “Aid to dependent IT Workers” welfare program for those guys that can't find jobs if the only alternative is protectionism...it's a heck of a lot cheaper.

But all of this discussion may in fact be academic  b/c India may end up doing the same thing Japan did, and regrettably the US  may do.  The few victories government's have in helping problems are eclipsed by all the messes they make.  Hopefully this won't happen to India b/c all that fearmongering about outsourcing is rubbish.  The US will benefit tremendously from outsourcing just as it benefits from immigration.  Imagine how back out IT industry would suck if we didn't have any foriegners working in it?