19 Feb
2003
19 Feb
'03
4:47 a.m.
But, unable to resist the two cents worth of email, I reckon that we
might also like to consider another reason that so many
chinese-manufactured goods is the abysmal level of environmental
protection they have there.
My take on labour is ;is 20 (or something) dollars a day no better
still than 1? that would still make for a very cheap piece of equipment.
And I recommend nobel-prize-winner Stiglitz's book 'globalization and
its discontents' for an insiders perspective on the trickle 'down'
effect, and whether it can still happen in the current international
climate as it did in singapore and japan.
Dan
I've spent the last 25 years traveling all over
the world. Many third
world countries (ever been to Djibouti?). Trust me, they're way better
off than they were. And that one dollar a day... it makes them feel
much better than no dollars a day. Trickle down doesn't happen in a
year. It happens over decades. Japan _was_ dirt poor in the 50's.
They're sure not now.
Jan
On Tue, 2003-02-18 at 04:59, Daniel James wrote:
South
Korea had the same situation into
the 70s and 80s. How do you suppose those countries got where they
are
now?
That assumes 'where those countries are now' is somewhere where we'd
want to
be. Taiwan may be rich but that doesn't mean you'd neccessarily want a
Taiwanese factory workers lifestyle. Or a Detroit one in the 1930's.
And remember $1US a day goes a hell of a lot
farther in China than
it does in the UK or US.
I'm sure that makes them feel a lot better.
Some people get exploited, some get rich.
This is the real world.
This is the Fordist world. There are others, fortunately for me. I
personally
do get days off. I have a reasonable amount of control over my own
life and
work.
Remember though, the more money we pump into
China the better off those people will be in the long run.
From my visits there I'd say trickle-down
doesn't seem to have
worked in the
USA, so I don't see why it should in China either. I'm not
saying
don't buy
stuff from there - it's hard to avoid - but just be aware of the
economics
that make cheap computer/home recording equipment possible.
Cheers
Daniel