An organization describing itself as 'independent' and 'pro business' attacked Senate candidate Lt. Gov. Bill Halter of Arkansas, with this ad. It suggests that Halter's politics have benefited India and Indians rather than job-seeking Americans.
I was particularly taken by the American accents of the so-called Bangaloreans.
Funny, offensive, or neither?
(Correction above).
Update: Blanche Lincoln, Halter's opponent for the nomination, has distanced herself from the organization, calling the ad 'offensive'. According to this report, Halter's relationship to WebMethods Inc., a company where he once served on the board of directors, cut costs by increasing the number of product development staff based in Bangalore. Its filings, however, do not refer to the loss of any American jobs in connection with opening the Bangalore office.
5 comments:
To be fair, it wasn't Lincoln who made that ad but a political group called Americans for Job Security. Lincoln has criticized the ad too.
Good point Patrix; I've included a correction. In fact if anything, this ad hurt Lincoln. I, like many other people, assumed she approved it.
Outsourcing is to the US, what Pakistan is to India! Get over it guys, we're here to stay.
Those Indians in the foreground are defn. American Indians. They were shot in a studio.
The ad isn't strictly racist. It doesn't show Indians or India in a negative light. But it does try and stir up sentiments based on resentment people already feel towards outsourcing, particularly at a time when unemployment in the US is at over 9%.
_ Avi
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