Apple, Offshore factories, and U.S. PoliticiansAn empire built on high performance computers, innovation, music, and cell phones. Will
there be a change of location of production? Will offshore factories become a thing of the past? According to Charles Duhigg and Keith Bradsher that’s not looking too bright as of now according to their piece “How the U.S. Lost Out on iPhone Work”. In the article they write about the handling of location and the price of it all. They do this by conducting interviews, conversations, and facts. Their stance is more than neutral. They use pros and cons to show both sides of the fight. The question still remains; will there ever be a chance of a change in location of Apples factories? Politics involving Apple and the United States of America have been happening for years. It’s a typical story you’d read in a political magazine. Perhaps that’s why I found it on one. It stated, “Not long ago, Apple boasted that its products were made in America. Today, few are. Almost all of the 70 million iPhones, 30 million iPads and 59 million other products Apple sold last year were manufactured overseas.” (page 1). This shows the controversy in just location. All of the revenue going overseas causing the USA to lose a lot of needed cashflow. Supply and demand efficiency are essentially what makes the company run. It’s the pleasing of all costumers in a meanly time. “The speed and flexibility (of offshore factories) are breathtaking, the executive said. There’s no American plant that can match that.” (page 1). Apple shows that keeping business up through cheap and fast labor (offshore factories) may not be a fair trade with an American factory. Being the more expensive and slow way to produce their large product demand. They show Apples stance on the topic through using supporting interviews and statistics. They were anything but opinionated. Neutral. Keeping things fair, showing that the American people need a voice but at the same time so does Apple. On the opposing side, they say, “Apple’s an example of why it’s so hard to create middle-class jobs in the U.S. now, said Jared Bernstein, who until last year was an economic adviser to the White House. If it’s the pinnacle of capitalism, we should be worried.” (page 1). They show that from one point of view apple is part of the reason why the united states are still not at an economic peak. On the other hand, the authors point out that, “Though Americans are among the most educated workers in the world, the nation has stopped training enough people in the mid-level skills that factories need.” (page 2). Perhaps American workers are unfit to work in apple factories? This article also goes on to state the fact that people in the states are not taught to do pointless work in dirty factories. We are taught to be innovators and inventors. Will apple ever change their location of factories? Well, that’s a question only they can answer. No matter how many American politicians pressure them, the decision is up to Apple. They don’t have to respond to anyone but themselves. However, with the evidence supported in the text it would only make sense that they keep their factories offshore. American employed factories would not stand up to standards of the Foxconn type. Most factories would not be fast or flexible enough to keep up with the demand. American factories would just not stand in competition with the offshore companies. Charles Duhigg is a reporter and an author. He has worked for The New York Times since 2006. Being an alumnus of Yale and Harvard he is obviously a scholarly and worldly man. He seems to be a non-biased author. Keith Bradsher is a business and economics reporter for The New York Times. He has been Chief Hong Kong correspondent since 2002. He reports for Greater China, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. He talks about topics including economic trends, manufacturing, energy, health issues and the environment. Mr. Bradsher is an alumni of Princeton University, having a masters in economics and a bachelor’s degree with highest honors in economics as a Morehead scholar. He also seems to be a non-biased author. Showing the facts, I believe the article was legitimate, having been wrote by applicable people. These are People who are scholarly and have worldly views. One being from a diverse area and one specializing in a different area of the world. All evidence was shown, both sides were fought for, everything was in its place. The authors well established article has effectively shown the argument of both sides: Apple and the united states of America. With the use of effective quotes and statistics. They informed the reader of the current struggle between Apple and U.S. politicians. They rose the question; will apple ever bring business back to the united states? This question may never be resolved. However, maybe the real question should be why do we really need these D list jobs in a place like America anyway? Duhigg, Charles, and Keith Bradsher. How the U.S. Lost Out on IPhone Work." The New York Times. The New York Times, 21 Jan. 2012. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.
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