The Great Trade-Off

One of the college classes that I seemed to do well in was economics.  This was ironic as it was not one of my favorite subjects.  I just seemed to have a knack for it.  Economics is, to say the least, a very philosophical subject.  The reasons why things happen are sometimes as nebulous as a puff of smoke and just about as substantial.  However, there are basic principles at play that, for the most part, can be as solid as the rock of Gibraltar.

In this particular article, I want to address a subject that is not necessarily theological in its conclusions, but I do think Christians and non-Christians alike could benefit from the discussion.  So, dive in with me as we discuss some of the delicate and often misunderstood principles of capitalism.

Let us discuss “off-shoring”; that is, the transition of domestic jobs to foreign workers.  I wanted to address this topic in particular because I have recently been affected by it.  In my case, my employer chose to out-source the Information Technology sector of the business with the understanding that the out-source provider would off-shore a determined percentage of the work, thus reducing the overall cost of the work provided.

Now if I were a board member or top executive of a large company and found out that I could shift 1,000 jobs from American workers at $40 per hour to, say, an Indian National for about $12 per hour, I would flip with joy and give all my support to the idea. 

As an American worker drawing a modest salary (compared to the board member or top executive), I am, of course, totally opposed to the idea.

It’s all a matter of perspective.

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