Things like free trade and H1B visas have been part of the economic orthodoxy for so long that people don’t question the form it takes anymore.
Which is true, but also addressable. You can still get really good people offshored - if you are willing to pay a little more for them (it will still be less than onshore rates) and if you make sure you have oversight into who is working on your projects.
One of the reasons the company I worked for offshored most of its functions is that in IT, the Chinese team was running circles around the U.S. team - for 1/3 of the cost. They were employees - not whomever WiPro or Tata threw at us - and they were GOOD.
My husband ran a team that was based in Taiwan. They were (and still are) the A team for the organization - and again - 1/3 the cost of the U.S. team.
We have GOT to get our heads out of our asses regarding American Exceptionalism and Protectionism. Our schools suck (our colleges are world class). We think we should get paid more than the rest of the world because we are used to that standard of living. Now, I think we should get paid a living wage, but some of our beliefs about how the world really works are stupid.
Public university lays off 79 IT workers after they train outsourced replacements
Since it happened in San Fransisco, I wonder if they will consider supporting Trump now that they know how white coal miners feel?
79 IT workers were replaced by natural gas?
Or what? They get fired? 
what’s the incentive for them to stick around?
Typically one forfeits one’s severance pay.
Nope, as a white IT worker I know that I am spoiled by wages and by a general lack of talent.
Note this portion of the link.
I get cold recruiting emails where they close by saying…
Sure it was just a model 3 but how many coal miners are cold recruited with the offer of a free $35,000 car for joining a company?
I may misunderstand the whole issue with the coal mining world but I don’t think that their problem is a lack of qualified citizen applicants.
Bump.
Trump has executively ordered an interdepartmental review of the H-1B program.
That six-figure floor should be along any day now.
You nailed it. Besides the H-1B people are not treated very well. If they get out of line, they have 30 days to get a new job or they must go back to India, or their nation of origin.
Where are you getting this info? There is no such requirement. Even if they don’t already have another job offer if they lose their jobs, they are perfectly free to file an application to change to any other status for which they are eligible (a dependent on their spouse’s status if they have a spouse in his/her own status, or change to B-2 nonimmigrant status to get some time to wind up their affairs). People do it all the time.