United States

I saw this in my local news this morning...

"FREDERICK, MD - BP Solar announced Tuesday they will lay off 140 people from their Frederick location.

The workers who were cut are the ones who assemble solar panels. BP says it will be out-sourcing these positions to remain competitive and to increase the volume of production by four or five times.

The overall intent is to drive down the cost of solar power so more people can afford it.

The lay offs will be phased out until November. Almost 500 people are still employed at the Frederick location."

One would think that having a job in a growing field like building solar panels or designing them would be fairly secure in these times, when alternative energy sources are so necessary. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Wtf is BP, yeah, that's British Petroleum, doing with solar, anyway? They bought the co just a few years ago, & I'll bet it gets shut down in another year.

I was hoping to get a job out there, but nooooo...they're out-sourcing the work. Just another part of the master plan to put Americans out of work, I guess.

There aren't many places to work outside of WalMart & convenience stores/gas stations around here, & it's beginning to piss me off when the few places that DO have work just shut it down & send it elsewhere.

This area, like so many others in the states, is going down the tubes fastly, & I'm getting mighty angry about it. When this happens in other countries, there's rioting in the streets. Where's our fighting spirit gone?

They just keep whittling away at us day by day. A couple hundred jobs here, a few thousand there....all gone to "out-sourcing." What's gonna happen when there's no one left with a job to buy the sh*t they're making elsewhere?

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!

There is no master plan to put American's out of work. That's just illogical anger & frustration talking.

See the bigger picture. Look at it from the perspective of a business owner.

Businesses have hard choices to make. They have to remain competitive, or else they go bankrupt, which, believe it or not, is a very real thing. Just look at what is happening to newspapers across America. They can't stay competitive, so they're closing. Not just laying people off. Closing.

A CEO of a company like BP Solar sometimes has to make a hard choice like outsourcing 150 jobs to keep the other 350 jobs in the US going. It's a sacrifice. If it was a cutthroat "master plan" to put American's out of work, they'd just move all 500 jobs overseas and say, "See ya later!"

American's who lack a higher level of education or a set of marketable skills are at a distinct disadvantage in a global economy because unskilled laborers in other countries will work for wages that are far below our minimum wage. In a capitalistic society that is predicated on competition, the profit margin determines your level of success. Companies can't stay competitive by paying for an expensive labor force.

When it comes to manufacturing, this has been the way for a long time now. When was the last time you saw a stereo, television, computer or cell phone that said "Made in America" on it? Overseas labor has been the primary labor force for manufacturing jobs for decades now. Solar panel production is certain to see the majority of the actual manufacturing happen overseas, where the labor is cheaper.

There are no easy answers here. Our world is a capitalistic world, so we have to deal with the consequences of that. Do you want a socialist society instead? Or how about a rigid caste system (maybe even a genetically engineered one, a la Brave New World)) where your lot in life is predetermined?

At least in a capitalistic society one has a chance to change their fate, depending on how much time and effort they're willing to exert. In a socialistic society you don't get that chance. In a caste society you don't get that chance either.

One would think that having a job in a growing field like building solar panels or designing them would be fairly secure in these times, when alternative energy sources are so necessary. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

I remember back in the mid-90's when PC's were all the rage, america was prospering greatly, made the best computers in the world.. then one day, you called dell tech support and Habib answered the phone... in India.

We don't make the best computers anymore. I don't think we make them at all, in fact.

Solar is HUGE right now.. I've read many times over the last two years that they can't keep up with demand.. I can see outsourcing to increase production, but why in the hell do they need to lay anyone off??

It's all about greed. Making a honest profit and running a honest business just aren't goals anymore. These rich and greedy owners/stockholders/execs only know one business rule: Minimize cost to maximize profits, at the expense of quality. Period.

It's like watching someone slip on a banana peel, fall down, get back up and then slip on the same peel again, then just keep repeating the process over and over until they are dead from blunt force trauma.

/sigh

It's all about greed.

/sigh

Yessir, Theres an example of "nailonthehead" Pennswoods wisdom!

Good Call Krammerguy
Howlin'

Ya know, when a company makes $2 billion in profit, but they projected $4 billion, they actually call that a $2 billion LOSS! How much profit is ENOUGH? In the meantime, ppl are being put out of work at a truly alarming rate, so the corporations can make "better profits."

It's a transparently short-term profit, though, when you consider that no one will be buying when they aren't WORKING. They'll just have to keep dropping prices in order to sell anything to anyone, & their profits will just keep dropping as fewer & fewer ppl have the means to buy...until there's only a handful of HUGE companies that own everything, & we are all slaves to them.

In these economic times, any company that cuts personnel to send the jobs overseas seems a little anti-American to me. (Admittedly, "BP" is not an American company.) These companies should be boycotted by every American, but unfortunately, right now that means that no one should buy virtually ANYTHING in this country.

Wally World's got us all by the boo-boos. It's about time for some ecoNOMIC terrorism. Screw 'em all! I'm not gonna buy anything anymore but American micro-brewed beer & local food. To hell with everything else, except for the absolute necessary gas, which I will NOT purchase from BP!

It's all very easy to hold onto the old time-worn concept that "capitalism is perfect," CF, but it isn't fair to make an entire ppl, who have made you what you are, unemployable. Ppl like you keep saying "the potential is here," but that argument is becoming obsolete as the "potential" to even start anything up is being removed from us as a ppl more & more on a daily basis.

You have a great idea? How are you gonna market it without start-up capital? Where you gonna get that if you aren't working to begin with?

For that matter, how are you gonna get that improved education without the job behind you to pay for it, CF? Your arguments are based on globalization, which, by definition, means that everyone will be brought down to the level of the lowest common denominator. You wanna live like those ppl these companies are out-sourcing to? I don't!

You wanna start up a company of your own? Check out the laws concerning insurance, if nothing else. You're busted before you can even start. Now, add to that the confusing tax laws. You can't start up a company without paying a host of lawyers & accountants & insurance co's to cover your ass.

This country has become set up over the years to make sure that very very few of us can get anywhere, let alone "ahead," while companies force-feed their political advantages to their employees in mandatory meetings, & crush every attempt at unionization with illegal terminations, while the gov't looks the other way as they've been paid to do.

Our market hasn't been "free" in my lifetime, & it SHOULDN'T BE!!! Unfortunately, it's gone so far into corruption that I'm questioning if it can be "saved." We NEED to put a stop to the ruination of our nation.

Tax the hell out of anyone who "out-sources" American jobs. Make it a worthless concept, & it will stop.

Make it easier for someone to begin a small business, & more will spring up, & more ppl will deliver more great ideas & products into the system. THAT's what made America great to begin with.

When will these asswipes GET IT?!?!?!?!?

Hey Phil, I understnd your disparity in this new world of greed, and listening to these a--holes who think it is right for these business owners to not give a f-ck about the American way of things. I don't want to hear about how they have saved jobs for some other as-hole in another country to save their f**k business at the expense of us Americans. I say it's time for US to get our sh-t together, make a stand and say enough is enough.......
Bobby

Actually, I think it was time to act during the Reagan administration, when this idea took shape...still, I think there's much that we as a ppl can do to stop it, but only if we act as a ppl, & the last 4 administrations were very crafty at dividing & conquering us as a ppl. It's a scary situation we face, if we cannot come together as a ppl to stop this trend.

I don't want to hear about how they have saved jobs for some other as-hole in another country to save their f**k-ng business at the expense of us Americans.

Actually they're not trying to save some a-hole in another country. They are getting the labor as absolutely cheap as they can, paying barely enough for the people to survive and when the people do start getting a little prosperous, they'll pull out and go somewhere the people are in worse shape and get labor even cheaper. And have ya'll heard about these rich MF's that are buying unpaid loans from small countries and turning around and suing the countries for 5 and 10 times the defaulted amount? Then the countries are having to pay them with relief money that we, the taxpayers, are sending them. Greg Palast is an American investigative journalist who does work for BBC (American media won't show his stuff) and he has some really good stuff on corporate greed. Google him and check it out. It'll get your panties in a wad for sure.

One thing you must remember, never underestimate the Power of the People...We as musicians, poets, and trubadours of society has the obligation and right to express our opinions, and to inform our own citizens just what the fu-k is going on. It's a hard task, but, I feel it's time to put an end to this chaos that is plagueing our nation and world. That word is, GREED.....Sorry if I sound so radical, but I lived through the 60s and was one of those hippies you've heard about....I also remember Kent State...
It's time to put an end to this Capitalism that is destroying this world....
Thanks for letting me vent Phil.....
Bobby

The thing I remember about Kent State is how stupid it is to throw rocks at men carring an M14.

Heres some more good news. In order to save the planet our newly appointed Transportation Czar wants to implement manditory car pooling.
If you drive to work all by your oneses she will slap a big fine on your ass. Then she compared Americans whom drive there own car to Hitler!!

I say CLICK CLICK BANG MF!

welcome to the new western soviet union.

"Teinemin Square was gun control"

To quote my cousin from just tonight
"it took the smartest beings on the planet to be stupid enough to destroy it"

the worst part about all of this, is these are the sorts of gripes and situations before a revolution starts up, but obama found a loop hole to the second amendment to keep him an his cronies safe if we all do go up in arms, tax the ever loving piss outta bullets and guns...what do we use then......amusing enough I'm listening to rage against the machine right now
and higher education doesn't even guarantee anything any more so what are we to do?

so far 14 states have signed a pact to ignore any orders form the federal government that are unconstitutional and stop giving any tax money to the federal government and dissolve it!
That's what we can do. without "our" money they can do nothing!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8bbrXnYJOo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovVU9ou2rBs



www.myspace.com/blunderingeye
www.myspace.com/445175001
http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/6039/

"my dog is a bitch"

call your state representatives and tell them to sign and support this pact!

There is a lot I could say on this topic but I will refrain.

Hey, I'm open to opposing views if you have the facts to back it up...I'm just looking at what I'm seeing & coming to conclusions based on it all.

Speak up, Chippy, & I'll listen.

CF's right about one thing - I AM frustrated & angry, & I'm not alone.