Posted on 07/20/2005 10:20:20 PM PDT by remember
CAN AMERICANS COMPETE?
Is America the World's 97-lb. Weakling?
In the relentless, global, tech-driven, cost-cutting struggle for business, America isn’t ready—here’s what to do about it.
By Geoffrey Colvin
It’s a crisis of confidence unlike anything America has felt in a generation. Residents of tiny Newton, Iowa, wake up to the distressing news that a Chinese firm—What’s it called? Haier? That’s Chinese?—wants to buy their biggest employer, the famed but foundering Maytag appliance company. Two days later, out of nowhere, a massive, government-owned Chinese oil company muscles into the bidding for America’s Unocal. The very next day a ship in Xinsha, China, loads the first Chinese-made cars bound for the West, where they’ll compete with the products of Detroit’s struggling old giants.
All in one week. And only two months earlier a Chinese company most Americans had never heard of took over the personal computer business formerly owned—and mismanaged into billions of dollars of losses—by the great IBM.
"Can America compete?" is the nation’s new No. 1 anxiety, the topic of emotional debate in bars and boardrooms, the title of seminars and speeches offered by the liberal Progressive Policy Institute, the conservative economist Todd Buchholz, and countless schools and Rotary Clubs. The question is almost right, but not quite. We’re wringing our hands over the wrong thing. The problem isn’t Chinese companies threatening U.S. firms. It’s U.S. workers unable to compete with those in China—or India, or South Korea. The real question is, "Can Americans compete?"
(Excerpt) Read more at fortune.com ...
Why the Americans workers should give a hoot about somene "kicking China's and India's butts" if they will share the standing of China's and India's workers and will be treated like a commodity?
So slash 20,000 employees, rehire as needed at greatly reduced wages and benefits.
Easy no MBA in business, skill, competitiveness or innovation required.
Oops, almost forgot, to get around those pesky unions who get in the way of your plan, you'll need to outsource those jobs.
Oops, almost forgot, to get around those pesky unions who get in the way of your plan, you'll need to outsource those jobs.
Because one political party is bought and paid for by the Unions and the other is gutless and timid.
Most, if not all of the growth in industrial America has been in the open-shop states where you cannot be forced to join a union. I have worked in manufacturing my entire career in both open and closed shop states. The difference is night vs. day in worker attitude and productivity.
We need a "Compete America" program in the model of the Sputnik program. Changing labor laws should be a first item in that program. Most people don't know that for instance you need a simple majority to vote a union in and two-thirds to get rid of one.
Thanks for expressing your touchy-feely ignorance of free enterprise. Successful companies treat their employees well just as they would an expensive piece of equipment and for the same reason. They want to keep a good asset performing properly as long as they can. Companies that don't go out of business. It is called the free market and it works beautifully and the most beautiful thing is it is self-correcting.
If ignorance is bliss you must be at total peace with the world.
Why would a company hire people who couldn't perform the job, no matter what they cost? If they could get the same talent cheaper they should, but that is not likely. However, that is exactly what outsourcing and moving plants offshore is all about. That is the point I am making.
Hardly. I take it that your nic pretty much explains why you are the way you are.
If you want to see the worst in human nature - employ them.
First we voluntarily slash rents or the sale price of our homes and a lot of other things by 90%.
Then American workers can afford to slash their salaries by 90%.
Then we can compete.
Simple.
Bullshit. All of it.
American businesses would be competitive with our current standard of living (and I argue...would actually improve immensely) if we:
Slash government taxes on corporations. Abolish Unions. Abolish %80 of environmental regulations. Abolish %80 of personal income taxes delegated to entitlements. Abolish %80 of government regulations and intrusiveness on healthcare. Slash taxes on pension funds. Slash %99.9 of the BS that produces frivolous lawsuits.
There, I feel better.
Corporations only think they have transcended nationality, but in reality, are in way, way over their heads. Nationality is going to bite them on the ass.
That is very generous of them. And why would not they get this "piece of equipment" cheaper if they could?
When their assets abroad get nationalised they will expect American nation to sacrifice lives of young men to protect profits.
And you done good. Keep it up.
They would and they should. I have already said that to you. Apparently you aren't paying attention.
Sometimes it seems that way. That is why owners and management make the big bucks.
Have you ever employed anybody?
Dentist and car mechanic. So?
Fortune is a leftist publication and nothing there can be trusted.
The man writing the article just plain doesn't understand our businesses.
If you desire to read a financial magizine read Forbes.
Forbes=truth
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