H.G. Wells' classic novel "The Time Machine" depicts a distantfuture in which England's industrialized society has "evolved" intoa world in which workers and consumers have become separate butstill co-dependent cultures, with the physically superior workerspreying on the lazy, ineffectual consumers.

Wells' dark vision shows us the peaceful Eloi (the consumers), aphysically weak people who spend their days playing like childrenand their nights huddled and hidden in fear of the Morlocks (theworkers), who actually provide the warmth and energy to the planet.The Morlocks live and work in the energy plants underground andcan't seem to tolerate the daylight. They have devolved intonocturnal cannibals, and among their favorite dishes is thehelpless Eloi, who are eminently ripe for the picking.

So, their co-dependent dance goes on, with the Morlocks breedinga food source and the Eloi "enjoying" a habitable climate, likeprized cattle being prepared for the slaughter. Certainly, we ofthe 21st century would regard such a scenario as horrid andimpossible, yet we have only to look around us to see seeds arebeing sown that could lead us down a similar path–and thattechnology is intimately involved.

It's no secret the U.S. is moving away from being amanufacturing economy and toward being a service economy, and thatin itself is not necessarily a bad thing. Clearly, technology–and,in particular, the Internet–has helped enable this shift toproducing ideas and intellectual property instead of bolts andwidgets. But what happens when we not only stop manufacturing hardgoods but also stop manufacturing new ideas?

IDG News Service reported several months ago Microsoft Corp.'schairman, Bill Gates, was warning companies not to outsource theircore business functions and staff. He cautioned companies shouldbeware of outsourcing for cost savings alone and should keep theirkey engineering and intellectual property resources at home. "Ifyou rely too much on people in other companies and countries . . .you are outsourcing your brains, where you are making all theinnovation," he said.

Coincidental with this disturbing trend is our own government'sseeming endorsement of a growing foreign "worker class" that willtake the dirty, low-paying jobs "no one else wants to do." As anation of consumers, that appeals to us, so we look the other wayas multitudes of illegal aliens stream across our virtuallyunprotected borders each day–even as some southwestern states havedeclared states of emergency because they are unable to supporttheir new "residents."

At the same time, the number American students choosing to gointo engineering and information technology is declining, meaningwe can look forward to fewer American innovations in those areas.Apparently, American students feel they won't make enough money inthose professions, so they are opting for what they believe will behigher paychecks in other areas. Those paychecks, of course, willallow them to consume more and more things.

Where are these trends leading us? The culture of consumerismknows only one value–acquiring the best goods and services at allcosts. This culture eschews making things, and it cannot bebothered with coming up with innovative ideas. We are fast becominga nation that wants more toys and more playtime and very little ofanything else. In essence, we aspire to become the Eloi.

Outsourcing is neither a good nor a bad strategy. It is an ideathat makes sense for nonessential areas of a company in many cases,but it clearly is dangerous in the long run when essentialresources–human or intellectual–are involved. Perhaps the mostdifficult task for any corporation in today's breakneck businessenvironment is to maintain a balance between in-house andoutsourced operations that maximizes profits while minimizing riskto the very resources that make a company viable.

What can we do to avoid becoming the lazy, effete Eloi of thisworld upon whom stronger, more assertive forces (both within andwithout) will inevitably prey? We can reward technology innovationrichly and provide incentives to U.S. companies that innovate andthe individuals behind such breakthroughs. We can stop beingirresponsible when it comes to short-term profits from key resourceoutsourcing. We can fortify the borders and get back control of ourown nation.

Wells' 1898 novel made the point that when man loses hisassertive will to work and innovate, he loses his freedom. It is apoint well taken more than 100 years later.