Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/03/19
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Overlooked is the high cost of health insurance & workman's comp that manufacturers & businesses have to pay in the USA. That is our disadvantage in the world wide economy. Until health insurance & Work Comp reform is implemented, we will continue to export careers (not jobs... they're at WallyWorld) and our social infrastructure, which depends on high paying jobs for taxes, will continue to erode our economic growth. When there is no weekly disposable income to support your local businesses, the writing is on the wall & has been for the past 20 years. denik On Mar 19, 2006, at 10:22 PM, Scott McLoughlin wrote: > Exactly. Noone says it's *easy* to manufacture quality goods. In fact, > it's > damned hard. And no one said that making high quality goods is the best > way to make a buck either. > > Scott > > Bill Smith wrote: > >> If the Chinese ever approach the quality that the Japanese have, I'll >> be most surprised. Not withstanding their complete penchant for >> exploiting each other w/o honor or apology, it is a national habit to >> build it cheap or screw the customer any way you can and to hell w/ >> repeat sales. This opinion will probably be damned as rascist but >> comes from a great of contact--both personal and business in the USA >> w/ Chinese businesspeople. >> >> 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 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" 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 >> >> >> >> --------------------------------- >> Yahoo! Mail >> Use Photomail to share photos without annoying attachments. >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >> > > -- > Pics @ http://www.adrenaline.com/snaps > Leica M6TTL, Bessa R, Nikon FM3a, Nikon D70, Rollei AFM35 > (Jihad Sigint NSA FBI Patriot Act) > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >