the.world.is.flat-第6章

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I　firmly　believe　in　the　lesson　of　classical　economists　about　moving　work　to　where　
it　can　be　done　best。　However；　we　must　not　ignore　that　in　some　cases；　individual　workers　
will　not　easily　find　new　work。　For　them；　retraining　and　an　adequate　social　safety　
net　are　needed。〃　
In　an　effort　to　deal　straight　with　the　Reuters　staff；　David　Schlesinger；　who　heads　
Reuters　America；　sent　all　editorial　employees　a　memo；　which　included　the　following　
excerpt：　
Off…shoring　with　Obligation　I　grew　up　in　New　London；　Connecticut；　which　in　the　19th　
century　was　a　major　whaling　center。　In　the　1960's　and　70's　the　whales　were　long　gone　


and　the　major　employers　in　the　region　were　connected　with　the　military…not　a　surprise　
during　the　Vietnam　era。　My　classmates'　parents　worked　at　Electric　Boat；　the　Navy　and　
the　Coast　Guard。　The　peace　dividend　changed　the　region　once　again；　and　now　it　is　best　
known　for　the　great　gambling　casinos　of　Mohegan　Sun　and　Foxwoods　and　for　the　
pharmaceutical　researchers　of　Pfizer。　Jobs　went；　jobs　were　created。　Skills　went　out　
of　use；　new　skills　were　required。　The　region　changed；　people　changed。　New　London；　
of　course；　was　not　unique。　How　many　mill　towns　saw　their　mills　close；　how　many　shoe　
towns　saw　the　shoe　industry　move　elsewhere；　how　many　towns　that　were　once　textile　
powerhouses　now　buy　all　their　linens　from　China？　Change　is　hard。　Change　is　hardest　
on　those　caught　by　surprise。　Change　is　hardest　on　those　who　have　difficulty　changing　
too。　But　change　is　natural；　change　is　not　new；　change　is　important。　The　current　debate　
about　off…shoring　is　dangerously　hot。　But　the　debate　about　work　going　to　India；　China　
and　Mexico　is　actually　no　different　from　the　debate　once　held　about　submarine　work　
leaving　New　
21　
London　or　shoe　work　leaving　Massachusetts　or　textile　work　leaving　North　Carolina。　
Work　gets　done　where　it　can　be　done　most　effectively　and　efficiently。　That　ultimately　
helps　the　New　Londons；　New　Bedfords　and　New　Yorks　of　this　world　even　more　than　it　
helps　the　Bangalores　and　Shenzhens。　It　helps　because　it　frees　up　people　and　capital　
to　do　different；　more　sophisticated　work；　and　it　helps　because　it　gives　an　opportunity　
to　produce　the　end　product　more　cheaply；　benefiting　customers　even　as　it　helps　the　
corporation。　It's　certainly　difficult　for　individuals　to　think　about　〃their〃　work　
going　away；　being　done　thousands　of　miles　away　by　someone　earning　thousands　of　dollars　
less　per　year。　But　it's　time　to　think　about　the　opportunity　as　well　as　the　pain；　just　
as　it's　time　to　think　about　the　obligations　of　off…shoring　as　well　as　the　
opportunities。　。　。　Every　person；　just　as　every　corporation；　must　tend　to　his　or　her　
own　economic　destiny；　just　as　our　parents　and　grandparents　in　the　mills；　shoe　shops　
and　factories　did。　
〃The　Monitor　Is　Burning？〃　
Do　you　know　what　an　Indian　call　center　sounds　like？　While　filming　the　documentary　
about　outsourcing；　the　TV　crew　and　I　spent　an　evening　at　the　Indian…owned　〃24/7　
Customer〃　call　center　in　Bangalore。　The　call　center　is　a　cross　between　a　co…ed　college　
frat　house　and　a　phone　bank　raising　money　for　the　local　public　TV　station。　There　are　
several　floors　with　rooms　full　of　twenty…somethings…　some　twenty…five　hundred　in　
all…working　the　phones。　Some　are　known　as　〃outbound〃　operators；　selling　everything　
from　credit　cards　to　phone　minutes。　Others　deal　with　〃inbound〃　calls…everything　from　
tracing　lost　luggage　for　U。S。　and　European　airline　passengers　to　solving　computer　
problems　for　confused　American　consumers。　The　calls　are　transferred　here　by　satellite　
and　undersea　fiber…optic　cable。　Each　vast　floor　of　a　call　center　consists　of　clusters　
of　cubicles。　The　young　people　work　in　little　
22　
teams　under　the　banner　of　the　company　whose　phone　support　they　are　providing。　So　one　
corner　might　be　the　Dell　group；　another　might　be　flying　the　flag　of　Microsoft。　Their　
working　conditions　look　like　those　at　your　average　insurance　company。　Although　I　am　


sure　that　there　are　call　centers　that　are　operated　like　sweatshops；　24/7　is　not　one
of　them。　
Most　of　the　young　people　I　interviewed　give　all　or　part　of　their　salary　to　their　parents。
In　fact；　many　of　them　have　starting　salaries　that　are　higher　than　their　parents'
retiring　salaries。　For　entry…level　jobs　into　the　global　economy；　these　are　about　as　
good　as　it　gets。　
I　was　wandering　around　the　Microsoft　section　around　six　p。m。　Bangalore　time；　when　
most　of　these　young　people　start　their　workday　to　coincide　with　the　dawn　in　America；　
when　I　asked　a　young　Indian　computer　expert　there　a　simple　question：　What　was　the　
record　on　the　floor　for　the　longest　phone　call　to　help　some　American　who　got　lost
in　the　maze　of　his　or　her　own　software？
Without　missing　a　beat　he　answered；　〃Eleven　hours。〃
〃Eleven　hours？〃　I　exclaimed。
〃Eleven　hours；〃　he　said。
I　have　no　way　of　checking　whether　this　is　true；　but　you　do　hear　snippets　of　some　oddly　
familiar　conversations　as　you　walk　the　floor　at　24/7　and　just　listen　over　the　shoulders　
of　different　call　center　operators　doing　their　things。　Here　is　a　small　sample　of　what
we　heard　that　night　while　filming　for　Discovery　Times。　It　should　be　read；　if　you　can
imagine　this；　in　the　voice　of　someone　with　an　Indian　accent　trying　to　imitate　an
American　ora　Brit。　Also　imagine　that　nomatter　how　rude；　unhappy；　irritated；　or　ornery
the　voices　are　on　the　other　end　of　the　line；　these　young　Indians　are　incessantly　and
unfailingly　polite。　
Woman　call　center　operator：　〃Good　afternoon；　may　I　speak　with　。　。　。？〃　（Someone　on
the　other　end　just　slammed　down　the　phone。）　
Male　call　center　operator：　〃Merchant　services；　this　is　Jerry；　may　I　help　you？〃　（The　
Indian　call　center　operators　adopt　Western　names　of　their　own　choosing。　The　idea；　
of　course；　is　to　make　their　American　or　European　customers　feel　more　comfortable。　
Most　of　the　young　Indians　I　talked　to　about　this　were　not　offended　but　took　it　as
an　opportunity　to　


have　some　fun。　While　a　few　just　opt　for　Susan　or　Bob；　some　really　get　creative。）
Woman　operator　in　Bangalore　speaking　to　an　American：　〃My　name　is　Ivy　Timberwoods　and　
I　am　calling　you　。　。　。〃
Woman　operator　in　Bangalore　getting　an　American's　identity　number：　〃May　I　have　the　
last　four　digits　of　your　Social　Security？〃
Woman　operator　in　Bangalore　giving　directions　as　though　she　were　in　Manhattan　and　
looking　out　her　window：　〃Yes；　we　have　a　branch　on　Seventy…fourth　and　Second　Avenue；　
a　branch　at　Fifty…fourth　and　Lexington　。　。　。〃
Male　operator　in　Bangalore　selling　a　credit　card　he　could　never　afford　himself：　〃This　
card　comes　to　you　with　one　of　the　lowest　APR　。　。　。〃
Woman　operator　in　Bangalore　explaining　to　an　American　how　she　screwed　up　her　checking
account：　〃Check　number　six…six…five　for　eighty…one　dollars　and　fifty…five　cents。　You　
will　still　be　hit　by　the　thirty…dollar　charge。　Am　I　clear？〃
Woman　operator　in　Bangalore　after　walking　an　American　through　a　computer　glitch：　〃Not　



a　problem；　Mr。　Jassup。　Thank　you　for　your　time。　Take　care。　Bye…bye。〃　
Woman　operator　in　Bangalore　after　someone　has　just　slammed　down　the　phone　on　her：
〃Hello？　Hello？〃　
Woman　operator　in　Bangalore　apologizing　for　calling　someone　in　America　too　early：
〃This　is　just　a　courtesy　call；　I'll　call　back　later　in　the　evening　。　。　。〃
Male　operator　in　Bangalore　trying　desperately　to　sell　an　airline　credit　card　to
someone　in　America　who　doesn't　seem　to　want　one：　〃Is　that　because　you　have　too　many
credit　cards；　or　you　don't　like　flying；　Mrs。　Bell？〃
Woman　operator　in　Bangalore　trying　to　talk　an　American　out　of　her　computer　crash：
〃Start　switching　between　memory　okay　and　memory　test。　。　。〃
Male　operator　in　Bangalore　doing　the　same　thing：　〃All　right；　then；　let's　just　punch
in　three　and　press　Enter　。　。　。〃
Woman　operator　in　Bangalore　trying　to　help　an　American　who　cannot　stand　being　on　the
help　line　another　second：　〃Yes；　ma'am；　I　do　


understand　that　you　are　in　a　hurry　right　now。　I　am　just　trying　to　help　you　out。　。　。〃
Woman　operator　in　Bangalore　getting　another　phone　slammed　down　on　her：　〃Yes；　well；
so　what　time　would　be　goo　。　。　。〃　
Same　woman　operator　in　Bangalore　getting　another　phone　slammed　down　on　her：　〃Why；
Mrs。　Kent；　it's　not　a　。。。〃
Same　woman　operator