To My Fellow Democrats: Don't Say "Outsourcing" When You Should Say "Offshoring"

Democrats who keep using the word "outsourcing" when they should be using the word "offshoring" sound like the business illiterates Republicans say we are and journalists who allow the use of the word "outsourcing" when the speaker should have said "offshoring" are simply not doing their jobs.


Just in case I have readers who need to learn the difference between "outsourcing" and "offshoring", let me provide definitions and examples.


First, let's talk about that overused word "outsourcing". Outsourcing, contrary to what some Democrats apparently believe, does not always result in the loss of an American job. Outsourcing occurs when company A contracts with company B to perform a function that company A doesn't wish to perform for itself. For example, if your American company doesn't want to hire a janitor and finds that it's adequate to contract with a janitorial service to come in 3 times a week to clean the office, your company has just outsourced a job but you have not eliminated any American jobs because the janitorial service is hiring people on American soil and is paying taxes in America. If a hospital hires Filipino nurses to work in their American hospital they have outsourced but they have not offshored. Those Filipino nurses are working in America, buying American goods and services and saving the lives of Americans in American hospitals.


Now, Democrats and news media, let me introduce you to what is apparently a new word to some of you: "Offshoring". Offshoring occurs when an American company builds a research and development center in the Philippines so they can fire "expensive" American engineers and replace them with cheaper Filipino engineers. Offshoring occurs when American workers are replaced with workers who don't live or pay taxes or spend their money in America.


Within a space of one hour I heard Dick Durbin and Rahm Emanuel on Sunday morning TV shows using the word "outsourcing" when they should have said "offshoring". The TV journalists didn't correct them.


Journalists, do your jobs.


Democrats, learn a new word. Stop reinforcing  the Republican narrative that Democrats don't know anything about business.
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