Can Outsourcing Create a Safer World?

     This week we read Thomas Friedman’s essay 30 Little Turtles. The essay’s purpose is to persuade the reader to look at the outsourcing of jobs from the perspective of the people who gain employment in less wealthy countries. Friedman talks about the “self-confidence, dignity and optimism” (Friedman 177) that comes from outsourcing low-wage jobs to other countries. The intended audience are people who are against outsourcing. [Friedman] says we should look at the positive aspects outsourcing has for less wealthy countries. (177) Outsourcing to Friedman means creating a safer world since it gives many less fortunate countries another option for employment and life.
     Friedman tries to have the reader look through another lens at the situation and does so through the use of pathos. He creates the emotional appeal by talking about his personal experience reading a paragraph to a room full of young Indians. Friedman’s experience paints a picture of enthusiastic young adults eagerly trying to acquire the skills required to help the Canadian or US consumer. [Friedman] also says how the Indian workers will go as far as to change the way they talk to better serve their client base. (176) This gives me the sense that the Indian people are respectful of their jobs and strive to do the job to the best of their abilities.
     Friedman’s use of ethos creeps up again in the essay when he interviews a few of the Indian workers. Their responses are very positive which leads the reader to think that the outsourced jobs are “dream jobs.” The quotes being used seemed very un-natural and westernized though. I became unnerved when reading the quotes because they made me feel as if the Indian people idealized our society of independence and wealth but could not obtain this by any other means than our outsourced jobs. These lines were meant to make the reader feel good about the help North America has given less fortunate countries. 
     In the last paragraph [Friedman] says that outsourcing is one way to make a safer world since countries like India and Pakistan can benefit from our low-wage, low-prestige jobs. (177) How will outsourcing create a safer world if people who already have jobs lose them to a competitor who is willing to work for far less than the cost of living in North America? This creates resentment and hatred; a gateway for violence. This essay is also a contradiction of its purpose because it is littered with stereotypes such as, “They say you people are really good at what you do. I am glad I reached an Indian.” Even though this is a positive response it still is very stereotypical. Not to mention Friedman’s example about the Palestinian men who “talked about having no hope, no jobs and no dignity, and...they were all ‘suicide bombers in waiting.’” (Friedman 177) So without the help from our outsourcing, apparently, all Indian and Palestinian people have nothing to look forward to except suicide bombing?  These two examples display Friedman's lack of sensitivity towards the people he is writing about.  Making broad statements about the young Palestinean men is just reinforcing stereotypes which also foster hatred and violence.
     I hear the point that Friedman is trying to convey and see the means in which he delivers it. Where the problem lies for me is in Friedman’s logic for creating a safer world. I may be wrong but I am under the impression that many of the suicide bombers do so for religious purposes. These are very radical religious people who commit these acts. If this is the case how will an outsourced job deter a radical’s religious standpoint? Also, what about our immediate safety if our low-wage, low-prestige jobs are outsourced and only the medium to high wage and prestige jobs remain? Would that not just create a larger gap between the rich and poor?  Areas where physical safety is in constant jeopardy are usually linked with poverty.  By outsourcing jobs overseas we are raising the unemployment rate which simultaniously increases the poverty rate.  Since unsafe demographics can be linked to poverty, outsourcing directly undermines the thought of a safer world.  And with the occurance of poverty linked violence far outweighing suicide bombing percentage wise wouldn't it seem more productive to keep the jobs in North America so poverty stricken people have a hope becoming secure and stable?  Maybe we should look at it this way; North America can not effectively help other areas of the world unless we can look within and strengthen ourselves first.