January 26, 2004 3:12 PM

On the other side of the fence
Posted by at 3:12 PM

It's a pretty well-established fact that we are losing jobs overseas, in particular to places like India, which represent the epicenter of the IT outsourcing revolution. But as Naeem Mohaiemen, a native of Bangledesh writes on Alternet.org, there is a darker side of the outsourcing revolution no one is yet talking about.

Outsourcing is an incredibly complex economic and ethical issue, with winners and losers on both sides. Yes, why shouldn't Indians (and by extension, my native Bangladesh) have a chance to improve their living standards through hard work? On the other hand, as thousands of jobs are lost in the West during the present recession, much of the blame will fall on outsourcing. But free trade means the flow goes both ways. If the West demands open access to global markets for its exports, doesn't the Third World have the right to demand free access to labor markets?