Barack Obama and Steve Jobs argued over outsourcing

[OhioChick]

22 Jan, 2012

WASHINGTON: Barack Obama and the late Steve Jobs had a terse exchange last February, over Apple out-sourcing the manufacturing of its famous products.

The New York Times had reported on this matter last February, and had said that when Jobs was about to give an answer, Obama interrupted him with a query and asked 'what would it take to make iPhones in the United States?'

It wasn't long ago that Apple used to brag about its products being made in America, but nowadays almost none of the 70 million iPhones, 30 million iPads and 59 million other products sold last year, are made in America.

According to an insider, Obama had asked, "Why can't that work come home?" and Jobs' reply was clear-cut, "those jobs aren't coming back".

More: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international-business/Barack-Obama-and-Steve-Jobs-argued-over-outsourcing/articleshow/11591316.cms

[ChromeFoundry]

1. "those jobs aren't coming back"

neither is the other Jobs. Or the Foxconn employees that plunged to their death over the Apple Approved Working Conditions.
Well, he's not calling the shots anymore... time to put some pressure on Apple's new management crew.

The best way is to stop buying their shit.

[roguevalley]

17. 700k jobs overseas and half want to commit suicide

Jobs, such a hero. I remember when everyone wore widow weeds when he died.

[MattBaggins]

18. The cult of Jobs was as bad as the followers of Ronny Saint Raygun

The pure mythos and fantasy about the mans life was nothing short of astounding.

[leftyohiolib]

2. put tariffs on the iphone brazil did it and now the i phones will be made there

due to a 47% tariff on imported iphones (which shouldnt be bought anyway)

[marmar]

3. Apple is a multinational monster, like they all are.............

........ and does not give a crap about the workers in its "home" country. That's why I get so amused by the constant parade of people who stand up to defend it. It's a psychopathic multinational corporation - it's just not that into you.

[Ron Obvious]

4. What annoys me about people like Steve Jobs

What annoys me about Steve Jobs and people like him is that their success would NOT have been possible but for the infrastructure and society they live in. The internet was developed with public money, many of their employees were educated in public schools, they drive to work on public roads, etc, etc.

No man becomes a billionaire in a vacuum. I'm a moderate conservative at heart, but I think paying back to the society that allowed you to become successful is not only a moral duty, it's good common sense. Hollowing out the commons may be profitable in the short term, it's slitting your own throat in the long term.

[msongs]

5. jobs got his so eff everyone else. btw he shoulda spent more $$ on doctors nt

[proverbialwisdom]

6. K&R thread.

[Tansy_Gold]

7. And Mrs. Jobs was guest of honor at the SOTU. n/t

[Snake Alchemist]

9. I believe the reasoning was her husband was a "hero." nt

[Tansy_Gold]

10. Oh, I know the "reasoning." I just think it's faulty "reasoning"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1116&pid=4287

But the hypocrisy is also rather astonishing. If Obama knew -- and how could he not know? -- that virtually all the jobs Jobs created are in China, then that pretty much tells us what kind of middle/working class "champion" Obama is. About as much of "champion" as Jobs was a "hero." In other words, not.

[OhioChick]

13. I wondered why she was there....

Jobs was one hell of a job creator, here.

[ihavenobias]

8. K & R n/t

[Dawson Leery]

11. "Obama created more jobs than Steve Jobs Apple"

http://money.cnn.com/2012/01/25/technology/apple_steve_jobs/?source=cnn_bin

[nanabugg]

12. The US has cannibalized its own economy by merging, monopolizing, outsourcing and de-unionizing.

This it essentially what has happened over the past 40 years. The wealthy get richer, not by working, but by passing their money around among themselves.

Question: If my dad leaves me 1 million and I invest the money and it turns into 200 million. Did I inherit my wealth or did I work for it?

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

14. Fuck Steve Jobs

Another "I've got mine and I need to keep all of it" asshole.

[Proles]

15. It's a sad state of affairs when a company as

insanely profitable as Apple willingly denies jobs to the Americans that made their success possible.

It goes to show that the unrestrained capitalistic system we've fostered is not what's best for our citizens. Tangible benefits for keeping jobs here, and/or penalties for outsourcing need to be seriously considered -- but I have doubts that anything revolutionary will get done until the Democrats take back congress in the next election.

[_ed_]

16. This shows Steve Jobs to be the

corporate hack that I always believed him to be. Just another slimy corporate snake who makes cheap electronics made by slave labor. And never forget how he fucked over his "partner" Wozniak.