15 May,2009 09:50 AM IST | | Prahlad Nanjappa
The other day, the Big Barack stood on his Rose Lawn, and like all potentates of yore, came up a whimsical statement: Anything that was outsourced out of America would have a lot of tax attached to it, henceforth.
Poor Obs. The poor man has no idea what he's getting into!
When was the last time you picked up something in America, checked the tag and actually got a "Made in the United States"?
Every true blue American brand has outsourced manufacturing and intellectual expertise to, well, the rest of the world.
Americans from Fifth Avenue Manahattaners to Farm Hick Minnesotaneans sport labels that have been born in America but have emigrated all over the world. South American sweat shops, Chinese junks, Sri Lankan warehouses and Tirupur mills churn out the Tommys and the Quicksilvers, the Donna Karans and the Laura Ashleys. The next time you try on something for size in Saks, flip the Care Instructions and it would
probably read "Made in Guatemala".
Imagine the scenario if the call centers for American Express were actually based in America. Chances are, if you were calling "godawful" Third World speck on the atlas like India ("Hey Tom, where's India, is it in Indiana?") a redneck would have picked up the phone, confused the hell out of you, and banged the phone down only because it was a Friday afternoon and the surf was calling have you ever heard of great customer service in the States if a simple bimbette air hostess can make you shiver with her snotty laxity, imagine what a Tennessee public school-educated, call center employee who holds the key to your credit limit, could do.
When you walk into an all-American burger joint, check where the potato fries are from. Odds are against them coming from Idaho they're probably poorer cousins imported from Ireland. Run your eye over the Styrofoam (the containers, not the beef patties); they're probably imported all the way from China.
Talking about China, remember all those toys that were recalled from the U.S. last year because of harmful toxins? Well, the point is, all those toys were made in mainland Guangzhou, not in F.A.O Schwarz's backyard in New York.
Perhaps the only thing that has originated out of America in recent history is the ongoing outbreak of swine flu. And to think, the other day, Oprah Winfrey deleted her tour to India, because she was scared of catching the flu in Mumbai!
If only somebody would tell those self -centered, financially teetering Americans to get a reality check, along with their Black President.u00a0
Hell, even when the Obamas were looking for a First Pet, they had to outsource from across the Atlantic Ocean. Bo is a Portugese Water Dog not a Texan Terrier.u00a0
