Answer: There are many people, identifying themselves as highly intelligent, who say that this is just the inalterable progress of modern business.

There are many matters in this world that are far too complex for those of us limited to average intelligence. We tend to over-simplify, and ask mundane questions.

One obvious tact is that America is losing its manufacturing in droves. A person doesn't have to be too old to remember small manufacturers that were once active in the Bootheel, but are no longer around. You can multiply this by many times in other areas.

Thomas L. Friedman, in his book, "The World is Flat," quotes a Chinese communist official: "Is that if somewhere lies the richest human resources and the cheapest labor, of course the enterprises and the businesses will naturally go there." Cheap labor is where everyone should go.

In his book, "The Great Betrayal," the sometimes applauded and often excoriated, Pat Buchanan, takes exception to this. He says that American companies, moving from this country, and leaving American labor behind, should not expect to take advantage of cheap labor in foreign countries, and then slip back into this country -- duty free.

The multinationalists, or those in favor of such outsourcing, say this enables companies to ship goods back into this country, therefore greatly reducing consumer costs. This is proven time and again in what we wear, what we drive, what we click on and click off, and numerous utilitarian items. The questions those of us not so bright have to ask are: Is it worth the loss of American skilled and non-skilled labor, and is it of no importance that we become more and more an import nation?

We have to depend on business moguls to tell everything is in ship shape. We have to hope that outsourcing is not based entirely on profit margins, or large dividends for stock holders. We don't reject the idea that what's good for corporate America is good for everybody. We just have questions.

We don't reject the possibility of one-world economics; providing it doesn't have a head-on collision with the innumerable and highly volatile political factions. What we do reject is the smug assurance that everything is in good hands. There have never been enough history books written to cover all of man's mistakes.

As Americans, we are not insensitive to problems in Mexico, or China, or India. But as human beings we are basically concerned about ourselves -- just as they should be about themselves. What we don't want is for them to turn us into a service, or information nation. There is something very satisfying about holding a tangible product made right here in this country. It says we have ability to be self sufficient.

Does this warp speed transition to outsourcing help us, or hurt us? In his book, Friedman admits that American labor will have to bear some pain. But he says this almost as an after-thought. There are some Emerson employees who might take some exception to that.

Friedman says that a defense against foreign intervention is for Americans to "anchor" themselves to jobs where they can not easily be replaced. This is done, he says, through "specialized education." This sounds fine, but will it defeat cheap labor? What does the honor graduate at Georgia Tech do when he finds out that five engineers in China are willing to work for what he might expect in one salary. Are our top people in this country expected to revert to Chinese incomes to meet a challenge? Company executives moving out of country certainly don't have that thought in mind.

"Specialized education" also gives us some avenue for thought, because it seemingly takes the assumption that everyone is perfectly capable of high performance, or unique ability. This idea is not only Utopian, but has the aroma of elitism. Not all people have the same abilities, or ambitions.

The loss of American companies through outsourcing is a fact of life, and undoubtedly will increase in years to come. Let's hope that it will work out for the betterment of mankind, and is not reserved for a limited few.

The Answer Man will appear on occasion in the Daily Dunklin Democrat, and will provide answers to various and sundry questions about local people, etc. Readers are invited to submit their queries to The Answer Man by e-mailing them to bhunt@dddnews.com.