Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/03/18
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Douglas, Your prognostication is too dark. We are in a period not unlike the industrial revolution. What was fine and appropriate custom and behavior on a feudal freehold became poverty and imprisonment for the workers and bankruptcy for the monied classes. For the workers, they had to learn how to show up on time, the value of innovation, the possibility of risk taking, the downside of working all the time instead of at planting and harvest. For the landholder, the value of land decreased as new lands came on line in the west and as tenants left the feudal system for the factory that for all the downside, paid in cash and every week as opposed to owing rent to the landholder. This time around, risk taking is again of great value, especially in trying new approaches and non traditional labors. A true education is of extreme value, especially one well rounded in math and various sciences and applied sciences. I have a feeling that degrees in law and medicine will decrease in value for differing reasons. As the world flattens, the competition increases as everybody in the world gets to play. An analogy, even though my great uncle was president of Harvard, at this point in time I should not have any expectation that I or my offspring would automatically get in to Harvard. Bush and Kerry went to Yale, they wouldn't even get into Boston College today. (There is a smiley face here). China has tremendous possibilities today, but the increase in the standard of living means that wages will continue to increase. First Japan, then Korea, then Malaysia, then China became the low cost producer. All to varying degrees have moved to more value added products and services as their citizens grew tired of working in the factory and their citizens have become more educated. What is the answer? First as you said, truly educate our children. Ignore the fixed interests and demand a very high standard for the public education system. Second, be very flexible when someone wants to build a manufacturing facility in your locale. Three, allow those who create wealth to keep and invest it: if you confiscate wealth for the needy, then the wealthy will take their money and go elsewhere leaving the needy in even more need. Four, pour money and attention into whatever is the new way; twenty years ago it was personal computers, ten years ago it was the web, five years ago it was 3G networks, now it is ?. Last, we need to have compassion for those who are not making it in the brave new world, debtors prisons did not work and there is no way of knowing if the talents of those who are left behind today will not be the genius of tommorrow. Someone who was a genius at Boolian Algebra in the 1500's didn't have many valuable skills then. Really, the only true change today is the speed of the change. Once, Egypt ruled the known world. Don don.dory@gmail.com On 3/18/06, Douglas Sharp <douglas.sharp@gmx.de> wrote: > > Don, > let's face it, the number of people forced to remain at a lower level of > education was, not so long ago, pretty unimportant. There was always the > job at the local mill, factory or in agriculture. What we are facing > today is the backlash of the classic denial of an appropriate education > to certain classes, races, ethnic groups and women for what ever reason > a government or a religion felt fit. The menial worker is now hardly in > demand, or this work is carried out by immigrants, women, imported cheap > or illegal labour or "exported" manufacturing facilities in low wage > countries. > To take this further, the Chinese have already started making inroads > into classical European industrial sectors, and have already bought > several companies in what was previously the GDR. This development will > continue in the same way as Mittal's (Indian steel magnate) successful > campaign to control and own the iron and steel industry. > Technology transfer to China is now a big thing, and also a prerequiste > clause in just about any export or services contract made with Chinese > concerns (this happened to Transrapid Mag-Lev, Siemens, VW and others). > And what was the real revolution in China after Mao? > You got it - educating the masses - this went so far that there is now a > campaign in China to get people back into agriculture before the food > supply situation collapses - add to this the Chinese love of taking > financial risks (betting and stockbroking are the biggest games in HK) > and probably, within the next 10 years, China will be the leading world > economy and the owner of many traditional western companies. > The plan of gradually loosening the totalitarian hold on development > will eventually be followed, when the government sees fit, with the > reinstatement of human rights for all, which if granted before the > economic consolidation of this immense country could easily lead to > civil war. IMO, it's hard but it's the only way they can see, and it > fits in with thousands of years of years of feudal culture and mentality > going back to the Mandarins and further. > If your kids are still young, let them learn Chinese - they'll soon need > it.. > > Don Dory wrote: > > >Jeffery, > >Ah, but it is not just manufacturing. We will all be the better off with > >more smart people coming up with another way of looking at the > world. Mass > >communication, mass manufacturing, world wide standards, much better > >standard of living. Of course, if you live in the western world and do > not > >have the capacity to become a creator, knowledge worker, and do not have > >interpersonal skills to interact with your peers then your life will be > >pretty miserable as the manufacturing jobs that require dedication, > showing > >up, and the ability to follow instructions have all migrated to someplace > >else. > > > >I can see large swaths of the western world working the tourism market > just > >as Bermuda does. They need some productive jobs for people who can not > >succeed in banking, communications, shipping, or insurance. > > > >Don > >don.dory@gmail.com > > > > > >On 3/18/06, Jeffery Smith <jsmith342@cox.net> wrote: > > > > > >>China is making electric guitars better than they were made 40 years ago > >>and > >>for about the same price as electric guitars 30 years ago. Computer > >>automated machine tool technology is a great equalizer these days. For > us, > >>it means quality stuff at rock bottom prices. Unfortunately, it also > means > >>that products made in the USA are just too expensive to buy for their > >>mediocre quality. > >> > >>You're right. The western world comes up with innovative products and > >>ideas, > >>and the eastern world makes them better for the price than we do. > >> > >>Jeffery Smith > >>New Orleans, LA > >>http://www.400tx.com > >> > >> > >> > >> > >>-----Original Message----- > >>From: lug-bounces+jsmith342=cox.net@leica-users.org > >>[mailto:lug-bounces+jsmith342=cox.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of > >>Douglas > >>Sharp > >>Sent: Saturday, March 18, 2006 5:56 PM > >>To: Leica Users Group > >>Subject: Re: [Leica] Olympus DSLR > >> > >> > >>If anyone is going to Photokina this year, take a look around the > >>Chinese booths - at the last show they were VERY impressive - I get the > >>impression that people are already starting to knock China just like > >>they did with Japan so many years ago, and we all know what happened to > >>the European camera industry.. > >>The same will happen again - Western (and eastern) industry and > >>technology beware!! China starts by copying or building to order - will > >>improve quickly - put in their own(and "borrowed") ideas, then they'll > >>suddenly be better than the rest. Things are happening very fast in > >>China. What India has become in the IT and services segment is where > >>China is heading in electronics and manufacturing. > >>Douglas > >> > >>Joseph Low wrote: > >> > >> > >> > >>> Hi BD > >>> > >>> As I recall - Leica sent their crew to handle QC and the > >>>finished items were re qualified > >>> by Wetzlar - I do not think this is the case with China > >>>made cameras for the masses > >>> > >>> Further - the infrastructure support is also China based > >>> > >>> Joseph > >>> > >>>-----Original Message----- > >>>From: lug-bounces+joelct=singnet.com.sg@leica-users.org > >>>[mailto:lug-bounces+joelct=singnet.com.sg@leica-users.org]On Behalf Of > >>>B. D. Colen > >>>Sent: Saturday, March 18, 2006 8:30 PM > >>>To: Leica Users Group > >>>Subject: Re: [Leica] Olympus DSLR > >>> > >>>It means that it's less expensive for Olympus and other manufacturers > >>>to have some equipment manufactured in China, just as it was less > >>>expensive for Leica to manufacture some items in...gasp!...Portugal. > >>>:-) You haven't discovered some dark secret here, btw...Olympus > >>>announced this a year or two ago. ___ > >>>Sent with SnapperMail > >>>www.snappermail.com > >>> > >>>...... Original Message ....... > >>>On Sat, 18 Mar 2006 18:17:03 +0800 "Joseph Low" <joelct@singnet.com.sg> > >>>wrote: > >>>"I was in Japan this week and took time off to recce local photo stores > >>>- this was a large one near to Osaka train station " > >>>"I was surprised to note that one popular Olympus DSLR model was > labelled > >>>as Made In China > >>>" > >>>"I am aware of and know that a good range of Olympus P&S digital > cameras > >>>are made by an OEM factory in Indonesia > >>>" > >>>"What does this mean for traditional and trusted Japanese > >>>"quality? > >>>" > >>>"Joseph Low > >>>" > >>>"_______________________________________________ > >>>"Leica Users Group. > >>>"See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > >>> > >>> > >>>_______________________________________________ > >>>Leica Users Group. > >>>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>>_______________________________________________ > >>>Leica Users Group. > >>>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>_______________________________________________ > >>Leica Users Group. > >>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > >> > >> > >> > >>_______________________________________________ > >>Leica Users Group. > >>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > >> > >> > >> > > > >_______________________________________________ > >Leica Users Group. > >See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >