Outsource to China?
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
REPUBLICANS ARE UPSET that President Obama has tacked on a tariff on tires imported from China. Whether that is right or a mistake, I won’t address here.
However, Republicans believe in free trade. Well, it just occurred to me that the good old U.S. of A. should open the insurance market to foreign insurers. Maybe China’s executives don’t get multi-million dollar bonuses or severance packages!
Who knows? China could sell Americans insurance for 50 per cent as much! Why not? Do you think the senators and congressmen/women, who get big bucks from the insurance companies would go along with the same thing they want for China’s tire makers?
I am sure that Montana Senator Baucus, a Democrat who has gotten millions from health insurance companies, would not.
I urge everyone to call, mail, e-mail, text, telegram, carrier pigeon our Kansas senators and congressmen and urge them to open up the health insurance industry to foreign countries. After all, what’s good for electronics, mufflers (remember Modine with over 300 employees in Emporia — now in Mexico), tires, clothing, etc., has got to be good for health insurance too.
Maybe Mexican companies could come up with some good health insurance at much lower rates than America!
Gary Lukert
Emporia
HenryVIII (anonymous) says...
Competition is always a good thing for the consumer. I can't tell, however, if ol' Lukert is being sarcastic or not.
Sure, 300 employees may have lost their jobs when Modine moved, but just think of the thousands of consumers who are now benefitting from more affordable products! If a foreign company can provide me the same coverage for less money, how is that a bad thing? After all, cheaper insurance means I'll have extra cash in my pocket to spend on American goods and services. (Like cheeseburgers and beer!)
Also... "50 per cent"? 50 of 'what' per each cent? I think you mean "50 percent"... Nice try, Lukey, nice try.
Your pal and eager reader,
'enry
October 20, 2009 at noon ( permalink | suggest removal )
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
um?
October 20, 2009 at 12:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
HenryVIII (anonymous) says...
Yes, "um" is the correct response. Very good.
'enry
October 20, 2009 at 2:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
shoehorn (anonymous) says...
How 'bout we try opening up the intrastate commerce on insurance to a little interstate commerce, first, before we toy with the idea of crossing the big blue wet thing.
October 20, 2009 at 2:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ZaneRokklyn (anonymous) says...
Great post, Gary!
The trouble with outsourcing manufacturing is that although the manufacturing costs go down, the retail price often does not go down nearly as much -- the manufacturer gets to keep the profit.
I was recently in Italy, where most of the retail goods are still stamped "Italia" instead of "China," and yet their retail prices were pretty much identical to what we're paying for goods made by people with crippling work hours, no living wage, no health insurance, no civil rights -- and we lost our own manufacturing jobs into the bargain! It's like we sold our soul for nothing.
But outsourcing services, that makes sense, because there's no need for a middle man. No shipping, wholesale, or retail to stand between the low-paid worker and the low-paying customer. My own industry, Web site development, is in the process of outsourcing to India, and you know what? I'm happy for them. There's no reason my job can't be done just as well by somebody in India for a fraction of the price, assuming he's fluent in the necessary languages. I'll find a new job.
Gary has hit the nail on the head by identifying insurance as an industry that doesn't need to be in the US to serve US customers. The only downside is that foreign companies are harder to regulate... but hey, the Republicans don't want any regulation anyway!
October 21, 2009 at 9:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
Oh, Gary, I hear the insurance companies executives and stockholders , in the U.S. screaming, " FOUL " !
BUT good post anyway Gary !
October 21, 2009 at 10:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
Zane - once every job is done outside of the US, (since pretty much everything can be done cheaper, or remotely) - what will you do then? Move to another country and work at the wage there?
OR....... let the government take care of you?
October 21, 2009 at 10:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reality (anonymous) says...
Good thought, however I dread the idea of calling someone in China trying to resolve a billing discrepancy. Surely everyone has been in contact with a call center of some sort from a foreign country, not very much fun.
October 21, 2009 at 2:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )