It's become cliche': American jobs outsourced to foreign countries. Americans, corporate executives complain, cost too much. After salary and insurance and retirement and social security and unemployment, corporations seem to see no other way to lower their bottom line than to move their operations out of the country. It is unfortunate for the Americans who are losing their jobs to these decisions, but companies claim it's the only way they can make money.
However, these American companies didn't start out as mega-corporate bodies. They began as small businesses staffed with American workers. The time and energy put in to build their companies was American time and energy. And the business laws and free enterprise system which allowed them to prosper was American, too. Back at the beginning of each company you'll find people who worked hard and had dreams.
Once corporations became successful though, wildly successful in some cases, they suddenly lost all sense of responsibility and gratitude. The love of money determines what's best for the company, not the America that's nurtured it's growth. American workers need health insurance? We can't afford that, not now that we're making billions of dollars. Our move will destroy the community that supported us? Can't be helped. We have to think of our bottom line.
What truly happens, though, is that they find workers of whom they may take advantage: workers without unions, workers without age laws, workers without food and shelter. These people are low down on Maslow's heirarchy of needs and will settle for enough money to get through the week, get through the day. Americans wouldn't stand for that. We protect our workers. So, corporations go where workers have no protection.
As these companies blithely skip the country in order to save money, American taxpayers are left holding the bag. Why should you and I be paying unemployment when the company is responsible? They're out there making big bucks and we're cleaning up the mess.
It's time we held companies accountable for their actions. American companies owe their success to the American worker and the American business environment. If they take their jobs overseas, they can pay a year's unemployment benefits to each worker who is left jobless. It's the company's responsibility, not the government's.
And when these ungrateful companies bring their products back into the United States, it's important that they pay for the right to do it. Tax American production moved overseas. Make companies think twice before they run off with American jobs.
The truth is, American companies wouldn't exist without the American worker. Corporate executives would do well to remember that.