[TheForge] OT: several questions and thoughts

[xlch58 at swbell.net]

Demon Buddha wrote:

>
>
> Justin Fisher wrote:
>
>>  > Unions have been killing this nation since the late 1960s.  IIRC,
>>
>>> the death spiral becan with the airlines when the unions demanded
>>> that wages DOUBLE.  Assholes.  Now we may be heading toward third
>>> rate status.
>>
>>
>>
>> The unions have done their share, but take a look at who has the 
>> money - it sure isn't the working man, union or not.
>> You'll notice that the rich guys are doing better than ever, as always.
>
>
>     I don't have a problem with that, per se.  One doesn't become 
> wealthy punching a clock.  If you want the success you have to pursue 
> it. Nothing wrong with that.  What I do have a problem with is this 
> recent (past 10 to 15 years) trend of abandoning the precepts of 
> enlightened self interest.  This is most disturbing, because longer 
> term views have been wholly supplanted with those of the shorter.  
> What I mean is this: at one time, corporate managers accepted as a 
> cost of doing business the need of people to have a decent life.  
> This, in turn, translated into wages sufficient to allow for a nice 
> place to live, clothing, food, etc.  Furthermore, it resulted in a 
> workforce that was sufficiently well heeled to actually afford the 
> products and services that the corporate world provided to the markets.
>
>     Today, it appears that corporations in general regard employees as 
> "resources" whose costs must be minimized to the greatest extent 
> possible.  This appears to be a direct consequence of so-called 
> "globalization".  When nations such as China produce goods at near 
> slave-wages, all that businesses such as those here in the USA can do 
> is cut costs to the bone.  Once the limits of process efficiency have 
> been reached, there's not much else to do but cut wages while working 
> your people ever harder.  This is OUR fault.  We want the low low 
> KMart prices, and we also want our $30/hour assembly line jobs.  Well 
> guess what... you can't fit ten gallons into a five gallon hat.  At 
> any rate, it's a bit late for regrets.  We are well on the path and 
> cannot turn back now.  The question is whether we as a species can 
> recover from our folly, or if we're pretty well fucked.  I have no 
> answer.


Walmart used to have a made in America program.  Gave it up when it 
became apparent that Americans wanted to spend their inflated American 
wages on cheaper Chinese goods.   How many chinese knockoffs are in your 
shop?   You can't do basic research, product development, protect the 
environment, provide health insurance, donate to charities, overpay your 
labor, provide a product that protects your customer from his own 
willful stupidity, protects your customer from the willfull stupidity of 
others, pay lawyers to protect you from the willful stupidity of your 
customers, sponsor the superbowl and effectively compete with a 
manufacturer that builds his version in a toxin ladened cave like 
factory with with near free disposable employees.    The good news is 
the Chinese are now building the most advanced robotic plants in the 
world.     Regarding globalization, Friedman's latest book is a great 
read, excerpts are found in this link.....

<http://www.cioinsight.com/article2/0,1540,1777087,00.asp>


Charles