Barack Obama in India

The President visits India: Issues and Questions

from JoeUser Forums

This afternoon Ari Force One touched down in Mumbai ariport bringing Michelle and President Obama and their two wonderful daughters to India. The Republican Administration of George Bush was quite sensitive to Indian demands particularly on the nuclear issue and right from the very first day of his Administration Obama has been taking a very firm and tough line against nuclear proliferation. It came as a huge relief to the Indians that the sanctions imposed after the Pokan nuclear tests against the Indian nuclear establishment has been lifted. This decision willgo down well with the Indiangovernment, and in return there will be defence deals worth nearly 15 billion dollars which will be signed during the President's visit. It is expected that nearly 53,000 jobs will be created as a direct consequence of this visit. President Obama after having received a drubbing in the mid term elections in which the Democrats lost across all states will be able to show some success to his domestic constituents.

The President and his family are staying in the Taj hotel which bore the drunt of the attack by Pakistan sponsored terrorists on Noveenmber 26, 2008. India's 26/11 and Americs's 9/11 are both important dates in the calendar of national identity politics. Though there has been a lot of concern in India that US was not forthcoming as far as sharing the information provided by David Coleman Headley, the American terrorist who masterminded the attack on Mumbai, the symolism of the US President staying in the Taj was not lost. Barack Obama gave a beautiful speech in the sombre memorial service held on the occasion of the Presidential visit. His speech was deeply moving and the words so carefully crafted that it appeared, evern for just a moment that Obama has got back his gift of words. He quoted a line from his hero Gandhi to underscore the point that terrorism will not succeed. Though Indians were disappointed that the President did not explicity name Pakistan as the country behind that horrific attack, his careful and dignified speech did bring a large measure of comfort to a striken people. I must say that Obama is at his rhetorical best when he takes upgut wrenching emotional issues. Who can forget his sppech on the campaign trail whenhe addressed the Wright controversy.

India was vey apprehensive about Obama's explicit policy against outsourcing and many in the fledging IT industry here in India felt that Obama will impose restrictions on Indian companies that are involved in the outsourcing industry. The fact is that India is only doing thje chores that the Americans do not wanbt to do because US IT labor is too expensive to be globally competitive. It appears that after making some noise in the direction of the dometic audience, Obama will not impose any major restrictions on the Indian participation in the IT sector.

On one issue I want Obama to hold firm. It seems that the corrupt bunch of dynastic couttiers in the Congress Party want India to get a seat in the United Nations Security Council. I want the US President to hold firm and deny the seat because India under the present dispensation will only act and talkm a bully.

The visit of President Obama is really causing a lot a goodwill for the US.

 

president obama india visit democrats foreign policy outsourcing
4,395 views 15 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

I personally have no issues with Obama going to India and the expense stories running around the media are kinda ridiculous to me as even if I don't agree with the guy, he is our President and the last thing I would want is for him to expose himself outside the country and be an easy target for our enemies. If he has to take half our forces to protect him (which is ridiculous and exaggerated but you get my point) and cost a ton of money than so be it because he is still our President.

It is expected that nearly 53,000 jobs will be created as a direct consequence of this visit.
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I think people need to start cheering when jobs are created and not when someone believes they will be created. That's like counting your chickens before they hatch and so far most of Obama's eggs have been duds.

The fact is that India is only doing thje chores that the Americans do not wanbt to do because US IT labor is too expensive to be globally competitive.
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That makes no sense. You are mixing 2 different arguments here. You are using that old " Americans wont do the job" excuse when it comes to what Mexicans do. The reason for outsourcing to other countries is not because Americans won't do the jobs, it's because Americans won't do the jobs for minimum wage when these jobs should be paying more. The companies who do this are simply looking for cheaper labor, nothing more.

It appears that after making some noise in the direction of the dometic audience, Obama will not impose any major restrictions on the Indian participation in the IT sector.
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If he doesn't then he will simply be breaking yet another of his campaign promises as this issue was something Bush was bashed about quite often.

The visit of President Obama is really causing a lot a goodwill for the US.
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I think you are simply looking to put Obama in a shinny light after the defeat his fellow politicians got which also made him look bad. It's gonna take more than a trip to India and a few happy people to bring Obama out of the spotlight of failure he put himself into.

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

Its nice that Barack Oblamea loves India enough to remember the Bombay terrorist attack... I guess it would have been nice if he would have said a word or two about the anniversary of the Ft Drum terror attack committed a year ago by caveman Major Nidal Hasan right here in America. Many of us hope Oblamea stays in India along with his mannish wife.

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Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top

The fact is that India is only doing thje chores that the Americans do not want to do because US IT labor is too expensive to be globally competitive.

That makes no sense. You are mixing 2 different arguments here. You are using that old " Americans wont do the job" excuse when it comes to what Mexicans do. The reason for outsourcing to other countries is not because Americans won't do the jobs, it's because Americans won't do the jobs for minimum wage when these jobs should be paying more. The companies who do this are simply looking for cheaper labor, nothing more.
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Exactly.

I too am for good relations with India, but don't expect too much from the visit. US citizens are hostile to more outsourcing of jobs overseas. Obama just finished blaming Republicans for sending jobs overseas, as did many of the Democrat politicians running during the election (remember they are for the working man). Now while I feel that stance was baloney (election year tactics), no politician from either party is going to do anything in their right mind to ship a job over there. Sure, buy all the weapons you want, just as long as they are made here.

Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top

Many of us hope Oblamea stays in India along with his mannish wife.
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Michelle: Who's your daddy?

Barry: You are... dear.   :grin:

Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top

I guess it would have been nice if he would have said a word or two about the anniversary of the Ft Drum terror attack committed a year ago by caveman Major Nidal Hasan right here in America
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I too am for good relations with India, but don't expect too much from the visit. US citizens are hostile to more outsourcing of jobs overse[/quote][

quote]Many of us hope Oblamea stays in India along with his mannish wife.

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Michelle is a very charming educated and yes, quite a stunner.

Outsourcing ceates wealth in the US as corporations do not have to incur a huge expenmditure on a bloated pay bill. The work of creating file, inventory, reports, preparation of routine reports etc are all outsourced and this does not mean that US citizens do not have jobs. The Corporations are only hining Indians to do the kind of work that is the equvalent of orange picking, writing codes and programs for business. The creative and inventive jobs are still in the US. Obama seems to have softened his stand on outsourcing after realising the immense benefits outsourcing gives to the USA.

That trgedy took place in Texas and it would bnot be appropriate on the part of the President of the USA to refer to it on foreign soil.

Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top

The fact is that India is only doing thje chores that the Americans do not wanbt to do because US IT labor is too expensive to be globally competitive.
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That makes no sense. You are mixing 2 different arguments here. You are using that old " Americans wont do the job" excuse when it comes to what Mexicans do. The reason for outsourcing to other countries is not because Americans won't do the jobs, it's because Americans won't do the jobs for minimum wage when these jobs should be paying more. The companies who do this are simply looking for cheaper labor, nothing more.
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Charles is correct.  And it is not that Americans will not do it.  It never was.  but the market has dictated a higher pay - not the workers.  And companies have found it easier to work with a thick accent than Uncle Sam's paperwork.  You have indeed got this wrong all the way around.

And you also lost out on your one wish.  But then that is the business of Obama.  He is a universal disgruntler.

Reply #7 from JoeUser Forums Top

The Corporations are only hining Indians to do the kind of work that is the equvalent of orange picking,
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Wrong!  India has an excellent Technical education area.  The jobs are outsourced because it is cheaper (that much is correct), but it is cheaper because the cost of living is less!  not because it takes less knowledge and expertise to do it (like Orange Picking).  You are indeed very confused about outsourcing.

Reply #8 from JoeUser Forums Top

The Corporations are only hining Indians to do the kind of work that is the equivalent of orange picking, writing codes and programs for business.
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Canon (the camera guys) among others, pay $11 an hour for tech support here in Virginia. Hardly a big payday, being less than 4 bucks above minimum wage. They have no problem filling the jobs. But why pay even minimum wage when you can pay less in India? Picking oranges... poor analogy, not even close.

Some companies are finding out outsourced call center aren't everything they hoped to be. Many issues have to be escalated because of communication barriers between the client and the agent.

Reply #9 from JoeUser Forums Top

Some companies are finding out outsourced call center aren't everything they hoped to be. Many issues have to be escalated because of communication barriers between the client and the agent.
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Rather than saying that I do not understand outsourcing, I believe that my understanding is predicated upon the realities as they exist on the groundd, shorn of ideological blinkers. After world war II American steel industry was dismantled and shipped to Japan, Korea,  and other such places. No one said thast Steel was being outsourced to Korea the same process now except that the level of skill is more cerebral than manual.

Reply #10 from JoeUser Forums Top

If you think you don't have ideological blinkers, you have ideological blinkers.

Reply #11 from JoeUser Forums Top

After world war II American steel industry was dismantled and shipped to Japan, Korea, and other such places. No one said thast Steel was being outsourced to Korea the same process now except that the level of skill is more cerebral than manual.
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Steel was not outsourced - the manufacture of it was cheaper, so those countries ran the US companies out of the market.  Nippon steel is not a subsidiary of Bethlehem.  You clearly do not know what you are talking about.

Reply #12 from JoeUser Forums Top

Steel was not outsourced - the manufacture of it was cheaper, so those countries ran the US companies out of the market. Nippon steel is not a subsidiary of Beth
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That is the point. It is cheaper for the US corporations to outsource to India just as it was cgeaper to manufacture steel in Japan and Korea. Corporations and the economy is driven by profit and not politics and hence there is no alternative to outsourcing.

Reply #13 from JoeUser Forums Top

and hence there is no alternative to outsourcing.
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Au Contraire.  That is the false line given by the "feel good - do nothing good" liberals.  The alternative is simple.  reduce or eliminate the minimum wage.  All the minimum wage does is artificially inflate costs.  Since prices rise to pay for that inflated wage, no real good comes from it.  And as you see, only bad does.

Reply #14 from JoeUser Forums Top

I'm a little late getting in the discussion but just want to register my disagreement with something Charles wrote.

I personally have no issues with Obama going to India and the expense stories running around the media are kinda ridiculous to me as even if I don't agree with the guy, he is our President and the last thing I would want is for him to expose himself outside the country and be an easy target for our enemies. If he has to take half our forces to protect him (which is ridiculous and exaggerated but you get my point) and cost a ton of money than so be it because he is still our President.
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All the presidents travel so that's not the issue, however I can't think of one who was so arragant as the Obama's when it comes the size and scope of their travels. So as a taxpayer, that's where I get steamed.

So I strongly disagree becasue something is very wrong when we've got major unemployment, are facing even higher taxes and yet the President spends $200 million of taxpayer money a day.


 
Reply #15 from JoeUser Forums Top

There was a factual error in my blog. Sorry. The Obama s were not accompanied by their daughters.