BL> That indicates a labour problem with Caterpillar.

BK> American companies build factories overseas, Japanese build
BK> factories here. I gotta believe that's a matter of getting away
BK> with more when they have a local govt that thinks they can move
BK> out at any time.

 It's true that foreign manufacturers play the "I'm outa here" card
pretty often, but really it's all about money. They stay if they can
make money and they leave when they can't. I don't think it has much
to do with screwing the local labour force.

BK> I was making the point that even specialized equipment can be
BK> built by local US or Japanese workers pretty much
BK> interchangably. They are fungible.

 It's also a common strategy for a company to have two manufacturing
plants well-removed, so that problems in one leave the other running.

BL> China has another agenda

BK> Yeah, touring factories with cameras in hand. Only now they
BK> don't even have to do that, our people have to train their own
BK> replacements.

 ROFL!

 The big problem with corporations is that they are happy to
sacrifice the future for a profit, now. Government is supposed to take
a longer view, but they don't.

BL> if you ship the bread-and-butter end of your hi-tech industry
BL> offshore, you lose the base on which the *real* hi-tech is
BL> built (the engineers, the technicians, and the capital
BL> equipment). It takes a long time before you lose the abilities
BL> (as much as 20 years) but there comes a time

BK> That is a point I've been making. Too many people think all you
BK> need are schools.

 I'm pleased that you (at least) understand it. Governments do not
have a clue and companies simply don't care, so long as they can make
a profit. The idea of universities creating future technology is
ridiculous. Even when they do come up with a good idea (rarely) it
dies untried, as an idea. Australian universities are at the forefront
of medical technology, but nothing gets done here. As soon as there is
a breakthrough, the actual development moves offshore (and usually the
scientist, too). Where is the profit in that?

BL> That's my whole point! Most consumer products are cheaper
BL> offshore! There is a *need* for cheap labour.

BK> Only because one does it, so the others have to do it.

 Because the *government* allows it...

 I feel sad the way Bill Clinton has been given so little credit. He
was the one who introduced the principle of "to sell it here, make it
here" that put Japan on its knees and started the US revival. It took
that dickhead Bush ten minutes to stuff it up, only worse, with China!

 I've been hoping for an Oz PM with Clinton's brain (I'll happily
give him a blow job), but there's very little hope of that, so my
party dress is quite safe. I think our politicians have their brains
removed...

Regards,
Bob
 

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