Monday, January 18, 2010

Outsourcing

“There is a new type of colonization and enslavement in our day —we call it outsourcing. We let the poor of developing nations make our goods without educating or training them to get out of poverty. We also “in-source” by culling for the brightest minds of other countries, bringing them here to educate them and keeping them here to work—to make our nation a better place. While that helps us and the individuals who immigrate to the United States, it drains the native country. It works to our advantage and their detriment. The whole world would benefit if we actually trained those who live in poverty and impoverished communities and helped them create jobs in their own lands. That would truly be the Good News.”—Follow Me to Freedom: Leading As an Ordinary Radical by Shane Claiborne and John Perkins

<idle musing>
Another form of colonialism, but we don't see it, don't think about it. In fact, we probably are encouraging it by our consuming of goods and services. But, how do we work against it? How do we incarnate Christ in this situation?

These are honest questions. I don't have an answer, but would like some input.

Reducing consumption of goods isn't really the answer. Although it might be part of the answer, it doesn't get at the real problem, which is the exploitation of another person for what they can give us. The solution is to treat them a human beings, created in the image of God, and to show them the love of Jesus. But, how do we do that???

If you have ideas, please let me know. I want to be part of God's solution here, and I feel like I am part of the problem...
</idle musing>

3 comments:

Joseph said...

This has been an ongoing question my wife and I have been asking ourselves for nearly two years now. We have so drastically changed the way we live, but we still feel like it is not enough. Some of the things that we have tried and are satisfied with: Consume less. When consuming, aim for quality and longevity. When aiming for quality and longevity, do not neglect to ask who made it, where, and how.

Andy said...

I believe this reflects a prejudiced and patronizing view of the world outside our borders. What, each country only has a certain number of geniuses? With a few dramatic exceptions (e.g., Wernher von Braun) Americans are not out there, scouring other countries for bright bulbs any more than other countries are trying to do it to us---the medical community brain drain from the U.S. to places like India and Singapore is very well documented.

jps said...

Joseph,

Yes, we have always been on the side of consuming less—60's youth coming out :). We are even more so now than in the past. But, it still seems like we consume too much.

Andy, Maybe. You have lived in more countries than I have. But, I know that there is a very real brain drain factor in some industries/areas of the economy; I've seen it. It might not be as widespread as my experience indicates, but it is real.

James