How quickly a country can fall. The U.S. was THE major industrial power just a few decades ago. Now, I despair for what we have become and where it is taking us.
Works fine as long as nothing changes but look at Great Britain. did the same thing. Exported all their manufacturing jobs and made money in services. Along comes WWII and down the tube she goes, with USA on top. USA was unbeatable because of overwhelming manufacturing ability. The Union won the civil war, American material and men finished off the Kaiser and then Hitler and Hirohito. Now American has exported all its manufacturing. Makes its money on services. What happens next? Your call.
After WW2, Japan started producing knock-offs of popular American products. First they were junk. But after a while, and with some perseverance, Japanese-made became pretty good quality. Toyota cars, anyone?
The Chinese are going down the same road. They're about 50 years behind the Japanese. Likewise India. But both are catching up.
However their systems are problematic, as we learned from the melamine scandal and other difficulties. They're trying to get things in order, but are often overwhelmed by applications for tests, and corruption is standard in both countries (as it is becoming in the U.S. — watch American legal action against some of the big, bailed-out banks).
Who knows where this will end? What will happen when cheap goods flooding the American market become more pricy, while average American incomes fall? Did someone just say "class warfare"?
Rob-Bear, I don't know if corruption was as ingrained in Japanese culture. Agree about corruption in America. Now that you can legally buy a judge, I don't look to see much help from the courts either. We live in interesting times.
"Interesting times" is part of a Chinese curse (as in "May you live in interesting times").
Strange, but Canada's current Prime Minister wants to do the same. In Canada, we trust our judges, but not our politicians. Harper wants to turn judges into politicians, who can be bought, just like any other politicians.
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How quickly a country can fall. The U.S. was THE major industrial power just a few decades ago. Now, I despair for what we have become and where it is taking us.
ReplyDeleteWorks fine as long as nothing changes but look at Great Britain. did the same thing. Exported all their manufacturing jobs and made money in services. Along comes WWII and down the tube she goes, with USA on top.
ReplyDeleteUSA was unbeatable because of overwhelming manufacturing ability. The Union won the civil war, American material and men finished off the Kaiser and then Hitler and Hirohito.
Now American has exported all its manufacturing. Makes its money on services. What happens next? Your call.
Well, we'll never win another war like WWII, that's for sure. If the next war is a nuke war, well, I don't know that anyone would win that.
ReplyDeleteAfter WW2, Japan started producing knock-offs of popular American products. First they were junk. But after a while, and with some perseverance, Japanese-made became pretty good quality. Toyota cars, anyone?
ReplyDeleteThe Chinese are going down the same road. They're about 50 years behind the Japanese. Likewise India. But both are catching up.
However their systems are problematic, as we learned from the melamine scandal and other difficulties. They're trying to get things in order, but are often overwhelmed by applications for tests, and corruption is standard in both countries (as it is becoming in the U.S. — watch American legal action against some of the big, bailed-out banks).
Who knows where this will end? What will happen when cheap goods flooding the American market become more pricy, while average American incomes fall? Did someone just say "class warfare"?
Rob-Bear, I don't know if corruption was as ingrained in Japanese culture. Agree about corruption in America. Now that you can legally buy a judge, I don't look to see much help from the courts either. We live in interesting times.
ReplyDelete"Interesting times" is part of a Chinese curse (as in "May you live in interesting times").
ReplyDeleteStrange, but Canada's current Prime Minister wants to do the same. In Canada, we trust our judges, but not our politicians. Harper wants to turn judges into politicians, who can be bought, just like any other politicians.
Interesting times, indeed!