Means of Exploitation

[Content Note: Outsourcing; exploitation.]

The Daily What: Computer Programmer Fired for Outsourcing His Job to China.

The lead developer of a U.S. critical infrastructure company was caught...outsourcing his assignments to a Chinese consulting firm for a fifth of his six-figure annual salary. An analysis of his work computer revealed that he spent much of his work day surfing websites like Facebook, Reddit and eBay, while receiving praise for work being done by the contractors overseas.

So, I'm guessing that my position on outsourcing—which, as it has been typically practiced by US-based corporations, exploits workers in developing countries, drives down wages for workers in the US, and cares naught for basic worker rights (nor, frequently, basic human rights)—is probably pretty evident, but, in case it's not, I'm not in favor of it!

What I find interesting about this story, though, is how it is justifiable for a corporation to outsource work to maximize profits, but somehow not justifiable for an employee of that corporation to outsource work to maximize income.

Corporations are people, but people aren't corporations.

Now, there may be additional relevant details here that drove the decision to fire this guy. Critical infrastructure is something that may require background checks on people working on it, etc. But his major transgression seems to be having worked to his advantage the very same system that corporations have been using against workers for decades.

Interesting, that.