Security and the global talent pool

I just read this excellent article by Mary Brandel Swimming in the Global Talent Pool.  Mary is an excellent researcher and writer.  I always enjoy her articles.  Let me explain how she piqued my interest and how I related that to security.  Bear with me, the thoughts that follow are completely opposite of the intent of Mary's article.  My thoughts are dark.

As I read, I began to become anxious.  All this talk about "global" this and "global" that made me realize once again that we are living in a global economy and we cannot stick our heads in the sand like ostriches.  We cannot escape it.  Why does this make me jittery?  Why do I give a hoot about programming talent coming out of India? 

The President's words have been circulating through my mind for days now.  We are going to step it up in Iraq.  We have an all volunteer army.  Our troop levels are strained and I'm not sure the additional troops are going to be enough to do the job.  I wish we could close our eyes and pretend it's not happening, not real.  So what does that have to do with the global talent pool?

You see, the global economy and the so-called global talent pool only works if countries and cultures trust one another to do the right thing.  The global economic partnerships are, bottom line, based on trust.  Forget about the contracts, treaties, and agreements.  You don't make an agreement with someone you don't trust.  Or you make an agreement and then point a gun at them to make sure they follow the rules, which is shaky ground anyway.

I have this basic mistrust of the "global economy".  Doesn't that sound ignorant and backward?  But, seriously, I do.  And part of the reason I do is my religious upbringing.  There will be a final war - a war to end all wars.  It will be centered in the Middle East, considered to be the beginning point of humanity (The Garden of Eden) and the ending point.

I also have this inbred patriotism that won't let go.  We The People... 
We stand for democracy throughout the world
We stand for freedom
We stand for human rights

We are not separatists.  We are not ostriches.  We have our noses in everybody's business.  And one of these days, that business is going to hit the fan - maybe in the Middle East.  And when that happens, and we close our borders, we will also close our network borders and we will no longer be a global economy.

When it comes to routine IT functions, outsource all you want.  But, don't outsource security.  Keep that "inhouse".  Keep that on our shores, within our borders, with Americans.

That is all.