# Most Americans oppose offshoring. We need to take action. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 1, 2011, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-oppose-offshoring-we-need-to-take-action/566080 "2011-01-01T21:25:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Le\_Jacquelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Le\_Jacquelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Jacquelope)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-oppose-offshoring-we-need-to-take-action/566080/1 "2011-01-01T21:25:25Z")
The arguments that pro-offshoring retards put out there are just about guaranteed to do their cause ruinous damage when it’s brought to light. The problem is that anti-offshoring people haven’t confronted these bastards persistently or formed any organized groups to keep the heat on them. People will rally and demonstrate over other issues… it’s time to mass up and put some REAL heat on offshoring. Make it a ballot box issue. Pro-offshoring people need to be called out, and not just in message forums. They need to be confronted on Capitol Hill and in person where their arguments can self-destruct publicly and their callous attitudes toward the working class can be exposed. This thread ain’t about debate - pro-offshoring people clearly can’t manage that at all - it’s about _organizing._ We’ve got to organize if we’re going to win for real. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Jacquelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Le\_Jacquelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Jacquelope)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-oppose-offshoring-we-need-to-take-action/566080/2 "2011-01-01T21:28:38Z")
Talk about an unlikely ally… [http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/6001/will\_tea\_party\_crack\_if\_job\_off-shoring\_is\_heated\_up/](http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/6001/will_tea_party_crack_if_job_off-shoring_is_heated_up/) Cracks in the Tea Party? Anti-Offshoring Fury Still Simmering Among Conservative Populists ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-oppose-offshoring-we-need-to-take-action/566080/3 "2011-01-01T21:37:19Z")
Jesus Christ, you are the most boring and predictable poster here. Just shut up already. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Jacquelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Le\_Jacquelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Jacquelope)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-oppose-offshoring-we-need-to-take-action/566080/4 "2011-01-01T21:39:08Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Jesus Christ, you are the most boring and predictable poster here. Just shut up already. No chance in hell. Now what are you going to do? ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-oppose-offshoring-we-need-to-take-action/566080/5 "2011-01-01T21:40:18Z")
I’m curious if support outsourcing is done in other English-speaking countries. When Brits, Canadians, Australians, South Africans and Kiwis call customer service, do they hear an Indian-accented voice answer “Hello my name is Karen how may I help you veddy much please?” at the other end? ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-oppose-offshoring-we-need-to-take-action/566080/6 "2011-01-01T21:44:24Z")
::shrug:: I, for one, fully support more ocean drilling. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Jacquelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Le\_Jacquelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Jacquelope)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-oppose-offshoring-we-need-to-take-action/566080/7 "2011-01-01T21:48:45Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > I’m curious if support outsourcing is done in other English-speaking countries. When Brits, Canadians, Australians, South Africans and Kiwis call customer service, do they hear an Indian-accented voice answer “Hello my name is Karen how may I help you veddy much please?” at the other end? Dunno bout the rest, but South Africans probably don’t outsource elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-oppose-offshoring-we-need-to-take-action/566080/8 "2011-01-01T22:11:07Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > I’m curious if support outsourcing is done in other English-speaking countries. When Brits, Canadians, Australians, South Africans and Kiwis call customer service, do they hear an Indian-accented voice answer “Hello my name is Karen how may I help you veddy much please?” at the other end? Canada definitely. Last year I was moving, and called my local telephone company. I was told that I could not keep my number because I was moving cities. I was not - I was moving a 10 minute drive away. It became apparent that the person in the customer service centre did not have the faintest clue about where I was living. I asked where they were located - the Philippines. Nothing I could say could convince her that my new address was in the same city as my old one, and I could therefore keep my number. I ended up switching carriers, including internet and cable\*. This outsourced “customer service” has cost them $160/month, and I have told many others my story. - and of course, kept my number ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-oppose-offshoring-we-need-to-take-action/566080/9 "2011-01-01T22:14:00Z")
> [@Le\_Jacquelope](#): > > No chance in hell. Now what are you going to do? If you don’t take good advice, that’s your problem. But you are lamer than a one trick pony: I’ve never seen any evidence that you have any tricks at all. Please commence with the starting of a dozen new threads on the same goddamn subject, each more boring than the last. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-oppose-offshoring-we-need-to-take-action/566080/10 "2011-01-01T23:12:54Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > I’m curious if support outsourcing is done in other English-speaking countries. When Brits, Canadians, Australians, South Africans and Kiwis call customer service, do they hear an Indian-accented voice answer “Hello my name is Karen how may I help you veddy much please?” at the other end? It happens a fair bit in the UK. Sometimes, from the customer POV, it works fine, other times, it’s terrible. Some businesses make a selling point of the fact that they have UK based call centres (for example, [First Direct Bank](http://www1.firstdirect.com/1/2/ourservices/telephone-banking;jsessionid=0000qIOcMrOKhxtbasszCx1bpuh:11qmofn39)) - so if it’s something a majority of the market genuinely wants, then the only action people have to take is to remember to choose it. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Jacquelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Le\_Jacquelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Jacquelope)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-oppose-offshoring-we-need-to-take-action/566080/11 "2011-01-01T23:16:07Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > If you don’t take good advice, that’s your problem. But you are lamer than a one trick pony: I’ve never seen any evidence that you have any tricks at all. > > Please commence with the starting of a dozen new threads on the same goddamn subject, each more boring than the last. Iggy. I can’t control the fact that you’re a waste of flesh but I can control whether you waste my time reading your garbage. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Jacquelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Le\_Jacquelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Jacquelope)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-oppose-offshoring-we-need-to-take-action/566080/12 "2011-01-01T23:19:01Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Canada definitely. Last year I was moving, and called my local telephone company. I was told that I could not keep my number because I was moving cities. I was not - I was moving a 10 minute drive away. It became apparent that the person in the customer service centre did not have the faintest clue about where I was living. I asked where they were located - the Philippines. Nothing I could say could convince her that my new address was in the same city as my old one, and I could therefore keep my number. > > I ended up switching carriers, including internet and cable\*. This outsourced “customer service” has cost them $160/month, and I have told many others my story. > > - and of course, kept my number Excellent move. And I totally agree with Mangetout’s suggestion - we need more unified directories of companies that don’t outsource to low wage nations. We need to support them, big time. (Note: I don’t really care about outsourcing to Europe or Canada - since they outsource to us, too. We tend to trade more evenly.) ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-oppose-offshoring-we-need-to-take-action/566080/13 "2011-01-01T23:25:56Z")
> [@Le\_Jacquelope](#): > > Iggy. I can’t control the fact that you’re a waste of flesh but I can control whether you waste my time reading your garbage. Wow, am I on ignore? What the he’ll is the point of starting a thread in the Pit if one’s feelings might get hurt? Soon, there will be the day when the only doped not on this guy’s ignore list is Gonzomax. And how funny will those threads be? ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-oppose-offshoring-we-need-to-take-action/566080/14 "2011-01-01T23:28:20Z")
Australians definitely get call centre stuff outsourced to India. But interestingly, a friend of mine here in Melbourne used to work at a call centre where they were doing customer service for the UK (this was 8 or 9 years ago. Don’t think it would work very well now with the weak pound) Australia, BTW is in a pretty good economic state, and offshoring doesn’t appear to be causing any problems for us. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-oppose-offshoring-we-need-to-take-action/566080/15 "2011-01-01T23:48:03Z")
Looks like **Shit-for-Brains** got more shit for his brains for Christmas. Only thing is, it’s the same old shit! ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-oppose-offshoring-we-need-to-take-action/566080/16 "2011-01-02T00:01:46Z")
> [@Le\_Jacquelope](#): > > This thread ain’t about debate - pro-offshoring people clearly can’t manage that at all - it’s about _organizing._ > > We’ve got to organize if we’re going to win for real. That would make this thread against the board rules then. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-oppose-offshoring-we-need-to-take-action/566080/17 "2011-01-02T00:19:51Z")
> [@Le\_Jacquelope](#): > > This thread ain’t about debate - pro-offshoring people clearly can’t manage that at all - it’s about _organizing._ > > We’ve got to organize if we’re going to win for real. I’ve got a slogan you can use: **Stoopid people of the world, UNITE!** ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-oppose-offshoring-we-need-to-take-action/566080/18 "2011-01-02T00:24:48Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Soon, there will be the day when the only doped not on this guy’s ignore list is Gonzomax. And how funny will those threads be? That would create a black hole of stupidity. Which is good, if you think about it. Every stupid thought that comes out of the brain of the rest of us will be sucked into another space time continuum, and we’ll all seem that much smarter! I must admit to some sympathy for the other continuum though. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-oppose-offshoring-we-need-to-take-action/566080/19 "2011-01-02T01:08:58Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > I’m curious if support outsourcing is done in other English-speaking countries. When Brits, Canadians, Australians, South Africans and Kiwis call customer service, do they hear an Indian-accented voice answer “Hello my name is Karen how may I help you veddy much please?” at the other end? We get it in Ireland, which is also mostly English speaking. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-oppose-offshoring-we-need-to-take-action/566080/20 "2011-01-02T01:10:30Z")
And we all know how sophisticated most Americans are concerning economics and trade, right? We should definitely be guided by the opinions of people who would vote for GW Bush twice… 😛 -XT [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-oppose-offshoring-we-need-to-take-action/566080.md?page=2)