Frenchbaby:
Because they will have to ??? ... no, no, no I would say : IF THEY CAN ! not the same ... again the west is not god !
Well I kind of agree with you. Workers in the West will have to try and upgrade their skills, and if they can, then they will succeed. If they cannot, they will not succeed. That is a meritocracy at work. Now, the smarter companies who are offshoring will provide training and opportunities to employees whose jobs will be relocated, before they take the offshore route. That way the pain will be minimized, and the company will already have created a more highly skilled workforce for more advanced developments. This may be the difference between success and failure for these companies. Again, meritocracy at work.
This is not to say that companies should have to do this. People are not owed a certain level of income, nor are they owed a job at all. But it will be interesting to see how the smarter companies approach higher levels of offshoring.
As an aside, when I state my views on free trade economics I often receive the ire of both those who fall under the groupings of "liberals" and "conservatives". "Liberals because it goes against their ideal of the father-like state providing security and social guarantees, and "conservatives" because, while they may support free trade as long as it benefits their own country, when it appears on the surface not to, their commitment to it fizzles. My views on this subject are "libertarian", or as an acquaintance would phrase it "completely off the f*^%%* poitical wall!".....lol
Expatbrit