HN Explorer

Obama declares war on US Citizen engineers

4 points by edelweiss ↗ HN
The US Government is spending 45 million dollars to train programmers, and establish outsourcing companies, in Sri Lanka and Armenia.

http://www.informationweek.com/news/software/integration/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=226500202

I was taught that we are a country of "citizens", and that our government representatives were supposed to work only for its citizens.

Corporations are legally considered persons, however they are not citizens, they have no legal voting rights.

Technically, this act appears to fit the standard definition of treason.

"Treason is the crime that covers some of the more serious acts of betrayal of one's sovereign or nation".

"A high crime is one which seeks to injure the country to the profit of an individual or group".

It appears that this act is compelling that high crimes, and treasonous acts are being committed against citizens of the United States.

I am a U.S. expatriate Citizen, and have lived in Vienna, Austria for the past 8 years.

I voted for Obama. I am a calm and objective rational person, who feels that this issue must be discussed.

Please provide objective, unbiased (non political) compelling evidence and statements either for or against this stated thesis.

5 comments

[ 3.1 ms ] story [ 19.4 ms ] thread
patio11
Look, I voted for the other guy, but "The president committed treason" is not a good opener for an apolitical debate. It practically commands "Flag me for tendentiousness."

There is no textual or historical support for the notion that our government representatives are supposed to work only for its citizens. For example, the Constitution of the United States and several hundred years of practice gives the President, with advice and consent of the Senate, the authority and moral responsibility to conduct our foreign policy. This will, frequently, benefit foreigners. If it doesn't, he ain't doing it right.

Relatedly, "President declares war on X" has a very specific meaning if one is attempting to be objective, apolitical, and full of that non-emotional rational goodness stuff. It typically involves Marines.

aquila
what is the moral legitimacy of government, if it is encouraged to to make its highly paid taxpaying citizens lose their jobs?
devmonk
I personally don't think the government should be doing this, and our national debt is just outrageous as well as the health care plan, etc. The U.S. may be partially socialist already, but we don't need to make government any bigger.

However, on point, if everyone else is outsourcing, why shouldn't our government be allowed to? It sucks for sure, but it's hardly treason. It's just their attempt at good business, although they will suck at it, for certain, because there is no accountability.

aquila
"A high crime is one which seeks to injure the country to the profit of an individual or group".

"Jonathan Hale, USAID deputy assistant administrator for Europe & Eurasia, is on a four-day trip to Armenia to meet with government and private industry leaders in the country. On his agenda is a meeting with Armenian economic minister Nerses Yeritsyan."

"We look forward to partnering with USAID on the IT sector, which has great potential as Armenia has an advantage in this sector," Yeritsyan said in a statement released by USAID. "We want companies to come to Armenia and create their innovative environments," Yeritsyan said."

"Following their training, the tech workers will be placed with outsourcing vendors in the region that provide offshore IT and business services to American companies looking to take advantage of the Asian subcontinent's low labor costs"

uuoc
> I voted for Obama. I am a calm and objective rational person, who feels that this issue must be discussed.

Then you are receiving exactly what you asked for, "hope" and "change". Next time, consider the lack of material behind the mesmerizing rhetoric for the weak minded before casting your vote.