what are y'all thoughts on various companies takign their operations off-shore, or outsourcing specific departments (usually manufacturing and/or IT) to companies in other countries?


i used to believe it was a good thing for other countries economies that they got US business, however, lately as I've seen many of my friends and coworkers across the country out of work due to business being taken off-shore, manufacturing plants closed down here and taken overseas, only to have those goods sold back to us at the same prices, i have gotten quite irritated by it all.

this thread is spurred by the last Levi Strauss plant in the US closing it's doors, and also by rumors that Dell is bringing their computer support back from offshore, since it didn't work out so well.

what are your thoughts?