More 'Can I Help You?' Jobs Migrate From U.S. to India Amy Waldman seems to be against the phenomenon, but she quotes others:

"You can't really outlaw outsourcing," said Jagdish N. Bhagwati, a professor of economics and political science at Columbia University. "Outsourcing is just trade."

...in the face of rising unemployment in the West, resistance has also grown to importing high-tech professionals from India. In the short term, that may actually prompt moving more work to India to reduce public resentment.

But over time, Professor Bhagwati predicts, visa restrictions may actually loosen as countries decide it is preferable to have foreigners come in to work rather than see jobs migrate abroad. Either way, the movement of work and labor in both directions is likely to continue.

"We don't see the competitive pressures declining, so the notion of being able to cut costs and get quality is only going to grow," said Vivek Paul, the chief executive of the software company Wipro Technologies.

Executives in India, which was long fearful of opening its economy, are now lecturing Americans about the virtues of free trade and contending that visa restrictions effectively constitute trade barriers. "If it takes six months to process a visa, it's like making a fruit shipment sit for six months," said Mr. Karnik of the National Association of Software and Service Companies.

But in the end, the most effective pressure will come from the companies that benefit.

Nowhere does Waldman mention the fact that lower costs are good for consumers, too.