Borders Beyond Control

This article was probably the most interesting articles I've read about immigration. Though, I didn't quite understand the diaspora model, his opinions on the solution to immigration problems were right on target. He proposes that the world badly needs better immigration policies to be better spread and codified in regard to every nation. Some nations "grasp reality and work with migrants and migration." Other nations "lag behind, still seeking restrictive measures to control and cut the level of migration." He enunciates that we should "accelerate the process and propose a new architectural institution - one at an international level " to monitor the immigrants inward and outward. 

Educated, Experienced, and Out of work: long-term joblessness continues

By looking at the demographics of long-term unemployment in 2003, the book states that long-term employment is a problem for women. This seemed to be such an obvious stat because it is often hard for women to keep jobs or let alone get them. What surprised by though, was that the book states " ...it is not surprising that men are more susceptible to long-term joblessness." Aren't these along the same lines? Why is it different? 

chapters 2-3 of "thank you for arguing"

Boy...was this a very compelling reading. I found myself reading lines over and over again because the author really makes you think about the situation. I think the hardest thing for me to defer was the difference between an argument and fight. He states that an argument gets people to do what you want, and a fight is an argument until you reach agreement...They both seem like ambiguous definitions which was really hard for me to differentiate situations. 

He also talks about the basic devices to determine the outcome of an argument. These are right to the point and is taken into account on any kind of situation: setting your personal goal, and setting your goals for your audience. Though, the author does not mention the connection between Cicero's three goals for persuading people and these devices. I think it is assumed that the two have a connection. I think that Cicero's goals ( change their mood, change their opinion, and get them to act) are accomplished once the basic devices are accomplished. 

Outsourcing - "Trading Jobs"

I know this blog topic was already past due, but I ran behind on my reading and making up the blog posts as well. 

One thing that caught my eye in "Trading Jobs", is the section: "Does the increase in offshore outsourcing of jobs from the United States Pose major Economic Threats to American workers?" One side, believes that offshore outsourcing will be more developed in innovation and create more jobs. The other side, believes that offshore outsourcing will be harmful to workers in the U.S. because unemployment rates will increase - other developing countries workers' are simply taking the jobs that they have. In my opinion, the first reasoning answers the question best. Though, it is short. First off, offshore outsourcing will create more jobs because the economy is growing more and more everyday in all nations. Unemployment rates won't increase because offshore outsourcing will spur innovation - therefore, more jobs are opening up and will fill the unemployment void. There is an issue that not all jobs are insured that they will keep their job, or that their job is stable. However, as said in the closing paragraph, capitalizing savings from outsourcing will allow them to remain competitive in the market and will insure stable jobs. How they capitalize savings? By lowering costs to raise profit for American consumers who want to maximize their gains of their investments for inexpensive goods and services. 

Immigration Here and Abroad

When I took rhetoric 306 last fall, our topic for the whole semester was immigration, so it's kind of interesting to revisit it and all of its complexities. In just these few pages alone, the author touches upon several of the hot-button issues such as border control and amnesty. I liked that she talked about the illegal immigration problem in the United States as well as the problems in some other developed nations such as France. I found the bit about banning Muslim headscarves in France really interesting. Here's an article about it. I also liked how the author presents opinions from the "sender" countries, Mexico in particular. Residents in Santa Ana Del Valle claim that those who come back from the United States are corrupt with the American lifestyle. I had never thought of it that way. However, there was a particular selection that really caught my attention, the student voice piece by Esperanza Borboa. I felt really shocked to discover that some employers of illegal immigrants will knowingly call Immigration at the most opportune times to benefit their company and themselves. Illegal or not, it's disgusting that employers are so consumed with greed and feel like they need to withhold the meager earnings they pay by getting rid of their employees in such a vicious way.

And we think we've got gang problems...

I think the most interesting part of the reading over immigration was the article over residents of a small town in Mexico responding to immigration. When people talk about immigration all they talk about is how it's affecting the US. No one really considers how it is affecting Mexico. I think that most Americans just assume that the Mexican citizens are pro-immigration. But this article shows us a very different side to the story. I mean I never knew that immigration could have such negative side effects to cities such as Santa Ana. It's somewhat ironic because the people of Santa Ana complain about how the US inner cities have corrupted them. They tell of how boys greet each other with gang signs, and how drugs and graffiti have become a problem. Yet, those are some of the exact arguments that the American citizens throw against the Mexican immigrants. Many people complain that allowing immigrants into the country has resulted in more drugs, more gangs, and more violence. Maybe it's the other way around? But I do agree on one thing for sure. The only way to limit immigration in the US is to fix the countries from which people are leaving. That means that places like Santa Ana need more job opportunities. More jobs attract more people back home, increases the economy, and limits the immigration into the US.

ch.2 from thank you for arguing.

sorry for the super late post. was in Houston for too long and got a tad backed up, but thats a story for another day.

But back to the matter at hand. Two chapters into this book and its already my favorite book i've ever been required to read. I love how the little things in what we say have such a big impact on our message. And by working on these things, you can more easily control your outcome, which in turn controls the person in some way. As an advertising major, this is an extremely useful skill. Looking forward reading more of this.

On this weeks readings

I enjoyed reading chapters 4 and 5 from Heinrichs "Thank You for Arguing". I love the way he relates the different techniches of arguing to everyday situations or alludes to parts of pop culture for example the Clavin and Hobbs comic, and his description of a scene from 8 mile. It made it easier to understand what he was saying about the different kinds of arguments and what they appeal to.
I didn't really like the way the information was presented in "Educated, Experienced, and Out of Work". There was a bunch of statistics, which made it kind of difficult to understand. It was a bit shocking that we have failed to recover from our last period of increased long term unemployment. It worries me that it is so difficult for graduates from 4 year colleges find jobs.

My Thoughts

I really enjoy reading Thank You for Arguing. The assigned reading from the book was an easy and enjoyable read. I really like how the author will throw in a smart comment on a situation from time to time. Everyone can relate to the real life circumstances the author discusses in order to better explain his points. I agree that arguments and fights are often confused by most individuals. In order to reiterate this point, the author presents dialogue between a husband and wife to show the difference between an argument and a fight. I also learned from this reading that there is an importance concerning the tense used within an argument.

In chapter three of Global Issues, Local Arguments, the good and the bad regarding offshore outsourcing are discussed in depth. Personally, I feel that offshore outsourcing can help developing countries grow and prosper. Developed countries will benefit in the long-run from the economic development of these countries and the higher ranking job openings. The reading referred to this process as creative destruction. Americans concerned with whether or not offshore outsourcing is hurting or helping America should read Drezner’s article, “The Outsourcing Bogeyman”. In this article, Drezner deals with predictions made concerning the results of offshore outsourcing with statistics and facts. I believe this article can comfort worried Americans and educate others about offshore outsourcing.

There seem to be several posts on "Trading Jobs" in Global Issues, Local Arguments. I guess it seems to be such an interesting topic which is my take on the subject. Outsourcing has seemed to be an issue that has affected several people for many years and has not been acknowledged. After reading this section, I realized that it plays an important role in what is going on in our economy. Large amounts of workers, my aunt included, recently got laid off from a South Austin factory. The factory manufactures medical equipment, an assumed need. My aunt has been looking for a job that pays just about the same amount, even a little less, but has not been successful in her field. Not only are jobs outsourced to India, but I'm sure are outsourced to several different regions. Thousands of people have lost their jobs because of this and cannot find a stable one.  Such a situation seems scary to those who have jobs; they want to hold on to it. Like Stephanie, I wonder if the outsourcing is beneficial to the economy or not. It seems to be that outsourcing is both beneficial to certain countries and not in others. 

New Perspective On Outsourcing

“Trading Jobs” in Global Issues, Local Arguments went along well with how globalization closely affected my family. For the past couple blogs I have been talking about how my mother’s “stable” job got transported to India. Ironically, that was the main focus of the section, offshore outsourcing. The beginning of Chapter 3 asks a powerful question about the issue of outsourcing on a national level. It asks “should Americans support or oppose the movement of ‘white collar’ jobs and manufacturing jobs to developing countries?” Before this class, given my bad experience with outsourcing, I would have said they should most definitely oppose. But as I began to read further into outsourcing through Global Issue, Local Arguments, I see why advocates of outsourcing are in favor. Its’ not that outsourcing isn’t tragic for those Americans directly affected by it, but the benefits of it seem far more attractive from the outside looking in. I’m not saying I’m for or against outsourcing but I do see the positives and negatives from both those who oppose and those who support it. The table presented from the National International Labour Organisation about average yearly wages for the same jobs in America compared to India shocked me. The wages are anywhere from 6 to almost 10 times less in India than America for the same jobs!!! And you wonder why companies are rushing over seas?

Outsourcing- Good or Bad?

In the readings from Global Issues, Local Arguments, there are many concerns about the issue of outsourcing. So many people feel that it is unfair to move jobs to foreign countries, claiming that too many Americans are being robbed of their own occupations. Although it is mentioned numerous times that outsourcing will actually stimulate the American economy in the long run, very few people will see it that way, especially those who are out of a job and struggling to provide for their family during their search for a new job, which may or may not turn out to be successful. However, I disagree with those who would say that foreigners are stealing American jobs. They went through schooling and training to earn those jobs, just as anyone in this country would have had to do. Drezner mentions that the real problem of the outsourcing controversy is that "people feel that their jobs are threatened." This makes it so easy for foreigners to become the scapegoat excusing the loss of American jobs. So is the outsourcing of so many American jobs actually worth it? The young Indians who expressed their feelings about being able to have a good job show how outsourcing is helping other individuals around the world. If outsourcing these "white-collar" jobs from America to other nations does indeed turn out to increase economic growth in the United States, then how could it hurt to also be increasing the economic and cultural growth of less developed nations?

ch.2

So we start learning some real rhetoric now.

Notice that i used the present tense for the preceding sentence.

Now I've actually got to think what tense I'm going to use before I say something, and it's already giving me a headache. The book has been stressing tenses so much, and it keeps mentioning these common sense people such as Aristotle and Cicero, whom I honestly don't really know too much about, except that they are VIPs; very important philosophers. I have also learned the three tools; blame, values, and choice. Blame is past, values are present, and choice is future. I understand the basic concept, but I have been having a hard time figuring out when and how I can actually apply these rhetoric in real life. Would I have enough time or would I even be able to think of these rules in real situations? It seems like I have already been applying many of these rules unconsciously in my daily life.

I am a little bit surprised that the author says in the book that he assumes that most people out there, if not everyone, doesn't know rhetoric. Is rhetoric something that important? Then why is not everybody learning it?

Outsourcing student voice

In the Chapter titled "Trading Jobs" in Global Issues, Local Arguments, a particular letter caught my attention. A student, Nicole Neumiller, describes how outsourcing has affected where she lives. It never really occured to be that outsourcing really affected a large amount of Americans, but it does. She recalls her aunt telling her about the large amount of layoffs in her Washington community. As more and more work is outsourced to India, more people are being layed off from work. I thought that only the bad jobs were being taken, but after reading this, it seems to not be true. She even mentioned that those who are layed off are unable to find new jobs. This is slightly disturbing. It seems that outsourcing really is more hurtful to our economy then it is helpful. Nicole explains that even though American businesses are benefitting from outsourcing, that many families in the middle class community are being hurt and suffering from a loss of income. After reading this I truly wonder, is outsourcing hurting the economy or helping it?

Thank You for Arguing Ch 2 and 3

I really enjoyed these two chapters of thank you for arguing.

In chapter two I agree with the three types of communicating to your audience. The first part of the three steps is to stimulate your audience, then you change their opinion and finally, get the audience to act. I did speech in high school and this part of the chapter made so much sense. I really feel this will also help translate in the writings as well. 

In chapter three it also made alot of sense in terms of argumentation. With the different types of statements (Blame, Values, & Choice)- I think when we start to write our papers this chapter will really help in the type of thesis that we write. My favorite example was the parents who are arguing on weather or not to pay for braces. IT IS SO FUNNY When the father says- ya a bucktooth graduate. Is this the right type or argumentation? I think it incorporates humor and guilt- it was a good example. 

The best advice given in these chapters was- never debate the undebatable. In order to argue effectively you must be able to settle and issue and communicate your thoughts effectively. 

Good first couple chapters!

"OutSourcing"

Well I think that outsourcing can be a good thing because it is part of globalization, but more people get to experience life in a different culture.But I think its important that we stay in our own nations because we work to hard to get our degrees and continued our education, just to find out that the only jobs that are available our in another nation.This can created social problems in the family.Why is the government not creating jobs in our nations for future engineers and manufacturing jobs? I agree with the theory that the increasing of outsourced jobs will become an economic threat to many American workers. Just think about very few people are not willing to move a way from their families in another country. I do agree that it will cause the unemployment rate to increase.If i had an opportunity to go to another country just for a job I would not take it. I was born in the U.S I believe its the government duty to provides more jobs to keep our economy up for middle-class people.

Thank You for Arguing Ch 2-3

I enjoyed these readings, especially chapter 3. Chapter 2 talked a lot about the structure of an argument. Ive seen that in speech class, but I really like the mood, mind, desire format Heinrichs uses. Now, the tenses in chapter three is something I have never paid much thought. I am going to go back and re-read this chapter a few times. It seems very helpful and is something I am going to have to try on people...

Thoughts on the Outsorcing Bogeyman

I found that The Outsourcing Bogeyman by Daniel W. Drezner was an interesting take on globalization, the first of our assigned readings to enumerate all the good aspects of it. I found it interesting that all of the statistics that he presented showed that although we may have lost American jobs to outsourcing in one area, the financial benefits to that company enable it to create higher paying jobs here. One thing that I find troublesome is the fact that with the right statistics, you can get them to say whatever you want. I felt that some of his stats were simply numbers he was throwing out to help prove his point. For example, he said: “…Although 70,000 computer programmers lost their jobs between 1999 and 2003, more that 115,000 computer software engineers found higher-paying jobs during the same period”. Maybe I’m interpreting this excerpt incorrectly, but to me it’s saying that it’s okay that these computer-programmers lost their jobs because higher paying jobs were created for engineers. The rich get richer so it doesn’t matter that the poor lose their jobs? I don’t see how that’s supposed to even out.
Other than that, I found some of his points enlightening on the other aspects of globalization then those I previously failed to find out more about.

In chapter’s 2 and 3 of Thank You For Arguing, I found it extremely interesting that there are different tenses and techniques of arguing associated with the Three Core Issues associated with arguing.

oh globalization...

On page 25 of Thank You For Arguing Heinrichs talks about the number 3 goal of an argument which is to get an audience to do something or to stop doing something. He refers to the great example of getting young people to vote. And how yes, you may persuade them to a particular candidate, and even better register them as a legal voter, but until REAL challenge is having them show up on election day.
I find it interesting how every issue involving persuasion will fall into one of three categories: blame, values, or choice. Each category also deals with a different tense (past, present and future).

Oh, and I think its obvious that Hernrichs is huge fan of The Simpsons considering a large majority of his examples come from the show's dialog.

It was great to see in The Thirty Little Turtles reading that Indians take pride in helping Americans with their PC's. However, the last time I called the Dell customer service I received little help with my computer because of the language barrier. Not only was it hard to understand the operator, but I felt like he was taking me in circles. Now, I know that is just one example, so I'm being super bias but it was just so frustrating. Although it is good to hear that more women are being employed as call center workers, thus providing them with a decent income and more liberty. This reading had a lot of information to absorb but I did like reading about the advantages to outsourcing and why globalization is not as horrible as it seems.