It’s a political year, and there have been some volatile events happening over the past few days regarding outsourcing jobs overseas. The idea of free trade and work moving around the globe has long been a controversial issue. Looking at the issue from an economic standpoint, there is a short-term effect on people and a long-term effect on the country as a whole. For the past three years, American workers have endured a tremendous hardship in the job market. People who are highly trained and who were making really nice salaries have found themselves unemployed. And it’s been a very rough road. But the reality with jobs is that the market place finds the most efficient way to deliver products and services. We went through this first with manufacturing jobs that went overseas. Then there were shifts in cars and electronics. Now, clothing and furniture are being made overseas in massive numbers. People in North Carolina who are skilled furniture makers have lost tons to people overseas. But we are both workers and consumers. The advantages of free trade as a consumer are enormous. Jobs may disappear but the flip side is that we now have opportunities to purchase great deals. Think of DVD players. You can buy one now for $30 or $40. If the only one you could buy came from America, it may cost you $800 to $1,000. We go through a constant churning process in capitalism, whereby people must learn skills in completely unrelated fields. And Clark thinks there is a role for government in this. The government needs to step in and provide those meaningful opportunities. If you’ve lost your job, take advantage of the marketplace. Learn skills that are needed today because you have to deal with the cards the marketplace is giving you. Clark doesn’t want to belittle this very tough topic, but get the skills you need to succeed. Don’t be a sitting duck.