Leveling the playing field

A thick smog over Beijing on the second day of
the Olympic games in August 2008, despite the drastic
one-off measures of closing industry and banning vehicles

In my work in technology, I'm continually reminded of the cost benefits of engineers in China compared to the United States. I'm regularly asked to analyze the benefits of outsourcing projects and jobs to this region. I see parallels in other industries like automotive and manufacturing and their challenges in staying competitive as we move toward a “flat Earth” paradigm.

I worry about future jobs for our children, the transfer of intellectual property from the United States to abroad and potential threats to our national security if our country were ever to need to quickly manufacture steel, tanks, planes or circuit cards to address a global threat.

I'm haunted by a quote I saw that corporations are “knitting the rope that our competitors will hang us with” by willingly giving more and more to other nations, letting a quarter-to-quarter market mentality override long-term concerns for national security and the future employment and prosperity of our country's citizens.

While pondering these complex issues, I find it amazing to read articles regarding the abuse of the environment and the working class in China. I've been dumbfounded by the magnitude of the chemical spill in eastern China in 2005 that sent a 50-mile slick of benzene down the river and polluted drinking water in city after city, even in Russia. And the fact that it took 10 days before Chinese authorities acknowledged the severity of the spill.

As for air pollution, I have learned from associates whom I've sent to Beijing and Shanghai regarding the “orange air” over there, their difficulty breathing and lung problems experienced during and after their visits. While some might argue that air pollution during the Beijing Olympics was much less a deal as once thought, I would not overlook the sometimes comical means, such as reducing traffic in the Beijing region, that were taken to reduce the pollution specifically for the Games.

But, alas, these issues are often glossed over when comparing the cost of Chinese and American workers. If the United States were to get rid of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, remove pollution controls and, in general, operate in a manner more similar to China, then the differences are not as great. I'm not suggesting we do that, just lamenting the fact that the comparison is rarely an apples-to-apples one.

A true “flat Earth” paradigm needs to have a level playing field for all countries as far as environmental and human rights issues before I'm willing to sell out to the low-cost producer. Low cost -- but at what cost, to the people and the planet?