Monday, March 01, 2004
Outsourcing: A Twist in the Tale
I have, in the past, ranted and raved at Lou Dobbs having lost his mind in that ridiculous program he airs on CNN. He's precisely the sort that I mean when I say former fans of free-trade. He had a bad experience after dumping Moneyline for Space.com and so, now's he back to take a piss on everything he used to advocate in the past. So, it did cause much mirth when I read this hilarious story from the so-called Hemingway Star.
In a surprising move, CNN announced yesterday that it is laying off long time anchor Lou Dobbs, host of the network's hit economic news program Lou Dobbs Tonight. CNN cited rising production costs and the availability of overseas broadcasters willing to work for less as reasons for the layoff.
Dobbs, whose recent features have included titles such as "Exporting America" and "Broken Borders," does not find the irony amusing. Responding to his termination tonight on his final show, Dobbs said that he regretted waiting so long to cover the exportation of American jobs. Paraphrasing Pastor Martin Niemoller, he said, "First they came for the loggers, and I did not speak out because I was not a logger. Then they came for the manufacturers, and I did not speak out because I was not a manufacturer. Then they came for the computer programmers, and I did not speak out because I was not a programmer. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out for me."
"You, my friends, must carry on the fight," Dobbs continued. "And that's our show. Tune in tomorrow for the premiere of Lokesh Narayan Tonight. For all of us here, thanks for being with us. Good night from New York. Anderson Cooper is next."
Lokesh Narayan Tonight will be broadcast from Mumbai, India. Friends of Lou Dobbs object that Narayan lacks Dobbs' experience, but industry analysts say that won't matter in the long run. "Back in the Moneyline days, sure, you needed a financial expert," says Dr. Mark Kinsley of the Institute for Economics and the Media. "But with Dobbs' recent turn toward protectionism, he’s made knowledge of economics essentially irrelevant for his position. Narayan can fill it if he hasn’t even read Adam Smith. In fact, it’s better if he hasn’t. I think CNN made a smart cost-cutting move here."
Fortunately for his fans, Dobbs’ television career may not be over yet. With Steve Irwin fighting for his job after bringing his infant son dangerously close to a live crocodile, the Discovery Channel is considering replacements. “Crikey!” Dobbs exclaimed in an off the record interview. “I would love to strike a blow for American workers and take that Aussie redneck’s livelihood!”
Har, har :)
In a surprising move, CNN announced yesterday that it is laying off long time anchor Lou Dobbs, host of the network's hit economic news program Lou Dobbs Tonight. CNN cited rising production costs and the availability of overseas broadcasters willing to work for less as reasons for the layoff.
Dobbs, whose recent features have included titles such as "Exporting America" and "Broken Borders," does not find the irony amusing. Responding to his termination tonight on his final show, Dobbs said that he regretted waiting so long to cover the exportation of American jobs. Paraphrasing Pastor Martin Niemoller, he said, "First they came for the loggers, and I did not speak out because I was not a logger. Then they came for the manufacturers, and I did not speak out because I was not a manufacturer. Then they came for the computer programmers, and I did not speak out because I was not a programmer. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out for me."
"You, my friends, must carry on the fight," Dobbs continued. "And that's our show. Tune in tomorrow for the premiere of Lokesh Narayan Tonight. For all of us here, thanks for being with us. Good night from New York. Anderson Cooper is next."
Lokesh Narayan Tonight will be broadcast from Mumbai, India. Friends of Lou Dobbs object that Narayan lacks Dobbs' experience, but industry analysts say that won't matter in the long run. "Back in the Moneyline days, sure, you needed a financial expert," says Dr. Mark Kinsley of the Institute for Economics and the Media. "But with Dobbs' recent turn toward protectionism, he’s made knowledge of economics essentially irrelevant for his position. Narayan can fill it if he hasn’t even read Adam Smith. In fact, it’s better if he hasn’t. I think CNN made a smart cost-cutting move here."
Fortunately for his fans, Dobbs’ television career may not be over yet. With Steve Irwin fighting for his job after bringing his infant son dangerously close to a live crocodile, the Discovery Channel is considering replacements. “Crikey!” Dobbs exclaimed in an off the record interview. “I would love to strike a blow for American workers and take that Aussie redneck’s livelihood!”
Har, har :)
