Exporting Jobs

I am a 35-year member of ACS and, like all of us, I have never seen a worse economic climate. With this in mind, I find it astounding that more members have not taken C&EN to task for the absolutely relentless drumbeat of articles promoting the export of chemical jobs overseas.

I understand that we are engaged in a global marketplace for all goods and services, whether it is clothing, widgets, or science, and I am not trying to bury my head in the sand about the realities of competition. But hardly an issue goes by without some report of how overseas companies are improving in every way. “FDA Reaches Out” describes increased inspections for overseas manufacturers of active pharmaceutical ingredients (C&EN, July 4, page 17). The implications are not overt but are repeated over and over from issue to issue, and the take-home message is to not worry about exporting the work.

I expect my national organization to look out for U.S.-based scientists and companies and spend less time describing why it is getting better and better to send the work offshore.

By Jon Kremsky
Arlington, Mass.