OK, I know David Broder is the king of DC insider CW spin. But for chrissakes, do you think any of these pundits could just spend a little time doing their own research?
In
this column Broder swallows a great big one from Bill Gates. First of all let's take a look at his quote:
As Gates said, these are highly paid, highly qualified individuals. Salaries for these jobs at Microsoft start at about $100,000 a year. Their counterparts can be hired more cheaply in China or India, he said, but Microsoft does 85 percent of its research and development work in the United States because it wants its computer scientists interacting directly with its program managers and its marketing people on its own campus.
This is in direct contradiction to this article
this article. Now I have no quarrel with the way Gates wants to run his business but it seems Broder doesn't have the slightest idea what Microsoft is actually doing, which the Seattle Times article shows us is hiring as many people in India as possible.
Another lie from Gates that Broder swallows wholeheartedly:
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that unemployment among computer and mathematical operators is less than 3 percent. Gates said, "If you're graduating from a reasonable university in this country, with a degree in computer science, you have many job offers."
Well ok, the BLS gives us that lie that Gates repeats, but if Broder had any idea of the real world, he might know what bondad has told us repeatedly, and most recently
in this diary. Where he tells us:
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the US economy has lost 2,877,000 manufacturing jobs and 635,000 information service jobs since January 2001. These jobs are high-paying jobs. They have been replaced with lower paying service jobs that place the typical middle class family in a tougher financial position.
HUH, ya think maybe Gates is lying? If so Broder is buying it hook line an sinker.