Essential Higher Learning Book Club

[Fervid]

Already read the top three. About 3/4 through the bottom one. RIP Victor J. Stenger

 

[bnm8907]

I'm downloading from my library. I'm new to ebooks/audio and this has been a wonderful gift. My library has a fantastic selection. They keep adding things. They just added a service called Hoopla which has movies, music, audiobooks, and television shows.

I just started reading 4 hour work week.

I like the concept but something keeps me thinking the outsourcing concepts may be forms of exploitation. Do you feel this in anyway?

 

[wheywhey]

I just started reading 4 hour work week.

I like the concept but something keeps me thinking the outsourcing concepts may be forms of exploitation. Do you feel this in anyway?

I don't think that outsourcing is exploitation. It is allowing those employees to move into their country's middle class.

Outsourcing is short-sighted because it takes money out of the local economy. Even skilled medical services such as radiology and therapy are being outsourced and done online now. It becomes a gamble to spend years educating yourself or start a business because there may be no financial benefit in the end. The US outsources debt. The US used to advertise and sell savings bonds to citizens, now it borrows from China. None of this is sustainable.

 

[bnm8907]

I don't think that outsourcing is exploitation. It is allowing those employees to move into their country's middle class.

Outsourcing is short-sighted because it takes money out of the local economy. Even skilled medical services such as radiology and therapy are being outsourced and done online now. It becomes a gamble to spend years educating yourself or start a business because there may be no financial benefit in the end. The US outsources debt. The US used to advertise and sell savings bonds to citizens, now it borrows from China. None of this is sustainable.

Not outsourcing itself but how it is used in the book. There was an example of a project he had to get done but instead he outsorced it to someone in a poorer country to do it for him at a cheaper rate he was being paid then turned the report in himself. I know it was an example but something about that doesn't sit right with me.

I know people say its giving them money but, to me your just paying someone a value for a service lower than its worth( or your willing to take for the same work).

All the while your living a 4 hour week.

I like a lot of the principals in the book but this part is hard for me to get over.

 

[JahFocus CS]

Workers' Councils by Anton Pannekoek.

 

[humble forever]

gives an excellent background on the birth of modern jihadi ideology, and the rise and fall of key terror figures of our time. cuts off before isis hits though cuz the book was written before then. still, extremely informative

 

[wheywhey]

Not outsourcing itself but how it is used in the book. There was an example of a project he had to get done but instead he outsorced it to someone in a poorer country to do it for him at a cheaper rate he was being paid then turned the report in himself. I know it was an example but something about that doesn't sit right with me.

I know people say its giving them money but, to me your just paying someone a value for a service lower than its worth( or your willing to take for the same work).

All the while your living a 4 hour week.

I like a lot of the principals in the book but this part is hard for me to get over.

I understand now. I don't see the outsourcers as being exploited because they can name their price. At my job I agree to a wage, a supervisor is paid more to watch me work, and the boss is paid more than both of us together. I reserve the word exploited for situations that involve lying, threats, or someone reasonably not understanding what they are getting into. Walmart workers aren't exploited.

 

[bnm8907]

I understand now. I don't see the outsourcers as being exploited because they can name their price. At my job I agree to a wage, a supervisor is paid more to watch me work, and the boss is paid more than both of us together. I reserve the word exploited for situations that involve lying, threats, or someone reasonably not understanding what they are getting into. Walmart workers aren't exploited.

You make a good point I guess my hangup is what is the value of the work. Example if someone is poor and they will to make shoes for nike for 3 bucks an hour and there is no lying or misunderstanding involved, is it still ok to pay them that much. Especially if yourself wouldn't accept anything less 10 dollars an hour to do the same job.

I know that is an extreme example but to me its the same concept. Your not paying what you trully value the work, and you can do this because of someone elses misfortune.

 

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[Dafunkdoc_Unlimited]

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[bnm8907]

Good read

 

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[Fervid]

Reading this right now. I'm actually kind of ashamed that I haven't read it before.