Where are the economists? The outsourcing of American jobs to low wage countries is a hot topic. The related trade deficit is a crisis, according to the media. Workers are pessimistic about the future. Many feel leveling the playing field in trade means Americans will be “leveled “(by reduced wages and benefits). But there is a puzzle here as well. The economists, the experts who have made a career out of studying such things as free trade, say outsourcing is a good thing. These days you have to read this in their books because they are not saying it in public. Lou Dobbs, the CNN news guy, talks gloom and doom about outsourcing on every broadcast but never has economists on to defend outsourcing. The President’s economic advisors apparently like outsourcing and now want to dramatically expand trade with South America. There is a disconnect here…the media and the public are distrustful and afraid while the economists press for fewer restrictions and more trade. Here in Bloomington there must be many economic experts. I invite them to defend their profession by explaining, in layman’s terms please, why outsourcing is good thing and why we should not worry about being “leveled”.

Op-ed ltr sent today.