Corporate offshoring will eventually destroy us

Harold Meyerson is correct ("Germany and China Are Winning," Aug. 29 Forum). Germany and China are winning because they actually make things. The apologists for offshoring blame unions and chant the litany of the inevitable when they say things like "capital will always seek lower labor costs."

Thanks to Mr. Meyerson for pointing out that the German work force is smaller, more unionized, better paid and produces $125 billion more in exports than we do. This is reported far too seldom. No wonder too many Americans are ready to believe that our present predicament is the fault of the "little guy."

In the German model of capitalism, the financial sector serves the larger economy, not just itself. That suggests how Wall Street can prosper independent of Main Street. Henry Ford believed that you paid your work force enough money so they could buy what they made.

In the wake of the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, Mr. Meyerson's message may not even rise to "prophet in the wilderness" status.

Although Mr. Meyerson refrains from actually accusing our business leaders of being unpatriotic or worse, their bad choices do have the ironic capacity to destroy what surely they would wish to prosper. It is inconceivable that borrowing from China to buy Arab oil can lead to anything good for the United States. How can a great power sustain itself by its citizens selling each other hamburgers and insurance policies?

KEN ESCH
Brookline

Prosperity has sailed

Thank you, Trudy Wetzel (" 'Made in America' Is a Rare Sight in Stores These Days," Aug. 29 letter) and Harold Meyerson ("Germany and China Are Winning," Aug. 29 Forum), for assuring me that I'm not a lone voice in the wilderness.

People, hear me: Greedy politicians of both parties and corporations have hollowed out our economy, and those millions of high-paying manufacturing jobs have been shipped to China, never to return. And you wonder why millions of people are out of work and our country is broke?

We make little here anymore beside credit default swaps, and China will overtake us economically in about 20 years. So I boycott items made in China especially, and I'll be willing to spend more to help the economy when I can find shoes, shirts, pants, tools and household goods again made in the USA.

BOB SCHOBER
Whitaker

Shale opportunities

Regarding "Unions Want Their Piece of Shale Business" (Aug. 29): Pennsylvania has one of the strongest work forces in the nation. We have leading colleges and universities, technical and trade schools, and various trade unions. Responsibly developing the Marcellus Shale has already begun creating a natural gas work force for today and for future generations.

Marcellus companies like Range Resources employ a small portion of the jobs this industry creates. We are dependent on subcontractors and service companies. We have and will continue to focus on creating jobs for Pennsylvanians -- it's the right thing to do and hiring local is better across the board than paying a premium for out-of-state workers.

Like anyone who bids work, we look for the best price, but we don't want "cheap" and there's a big difference. We need skilled people who work hard and safely, and trade unions provide those types of men and women, which is why our industry employs their members. We've met with the Builders Guild of Western Pennsylvania, and there will be even more opportunities on site preparation, reclamation, road work, welding and other aspects.

Almost all of our work force, including service companies and subcontractors, are local. Many of the people who have moved to Pennsylvania to work in the natural gas industry are simply returning home. A decade ago here, job prospects were scarce for me. Natural gas has allowed my family to return and I'm proud to be part of an industry offering others the same opportunity.

Natural gas is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to responsibly provide future generations with economic opportunities with a legacy we can all be proud of.

MATT CURRY
Director of Engineering and Development
Range Resources
Peters

Let doctors decide

Does anyone really believe Highmark's new requirement for prior authorizations for scans and X-rays is based on a concern for people ("Highmark's New Policy Reflects Trend on Radiation," Aug. 22)? In my opinion, this is strictly a profit-motivated policy by a "nonprofit" company. This will mean higher profits and larger bonuses for the executives and maybe purchases of more Blue Cross companies.

If you have a medical issue, would you prefer your doctor to be in control of your diagnosis and treatment or a pseudo- or wannabe doctor?

Let me put things in the proper perspective. I once had my medical Insurance with Highmark. I had a $500 deductible and a co-pay of 80/20 on the next $5,000 of medical expenses plus a premium in excess of $350 a month. Today, fortunately, I have Medicare and a Medicare supplement policy. My premiums are considerably less with no deductibles, co-insurance or networks. But most important, my doctor is in charge, not the insurance company.

If state Insurance Commissioner Joel Ario has any chutzpah, he will finally exert his authority, do something positive and refuse to allow this policy of prior authorization by Highmark for diagnostic tests to go forward. But then it seems that he rubber-stamps every rate increase requested by Highmark, so why would he deny this?

ALAN LICHTENSTEIN
Turtle Creek

Sandlot memories

Regarding "The Old Ball Game" (Aug. 22) about sandlot baseball in Fayette County's Mill Run: It is nice to see a happy story on the front page of your newspaper. Just the day before the article ran, my cousin, my sister and I were discussing Mill Run. Our grandmother, Tillie O'Donnell, who had 10 children, had a cabin and farm there near Ohiopyle.

When we visited the cabin, we would go to the ballgame for entertainment. The tax collector's son played on the Mill Run team. He was an all-around athlete and became a professional ballplayer.

Long live baseball and Mill Run.

HUGH G. O'DONNELL
West Mifflin

What al-Qaida wants

With regard to the recent suspicious pink backpack incident, "Asides" on Aug. 29 commented that "After 9/11, the message is: You can't be too careful." I believe that message actually comes from al-Qaida itself.

By creating an environment in which we are encouraged to see an increasing number of everyday objects (backpacks, shoes, bottles, etc.) as potential threats, we will ultimately bankrupt ourselves. For example, the Taliban helped to bankrupt the Soviets by forcing them to spend heavily on their own conflict in Afghanistan, and now know very well that the USA has far less tolerance of risk.

HENRY POSNER III
Oakland

The war is over, with little reason for jubilation

So the war in Iraq is over. Let the celebration begin!

Never mind the hundreds of thousands of lives lost or ruined, the hundreds of billions of dollars wasted, during its seven-year run (almost two of which took place under President Barack Obama's watch).

Never mind that the drawdown of troops in Iraq is directly related to, and will be more than offset by, an escalation of combat in the equally unjustifiable and unwinnable Afghanistan war.

Never mind that these twin wars helped leverage policies of illegal detention and interrogation ("torture" to the layman) that the Obama administration continues to practice.

Never mind that the anti-war movement in this country is dead, killed by its own and the general public's foolhardy faith that Mr. Obama would bring us peace in our time.

Never mind any of that. I'm gonna grab me the first civilian gal I can find and plant a big public smooch on her for the cameras.

JOSHUA BELLIN
Regent Square

Obama led us out

In an age when politicians often break campaign promises, it was great to see President Barack Obama keep one of his big ones, by effectively ending the Iraq war. It would have been easy for him not to follow through, but he did, and ended one of the worst foreign policy decisions in our nation's history.

It can be said that it is oftentimes much harder to get out of a war as opposed to getting into one. Mr. Obama should be applauded for his leadership on this critical issue.

STEVEN M. CLAYTON
Shadyside

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