Losing Our Edge?

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

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Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2004 09:43:53 +0200
From: the terminal of Geoff Goodfellow <geoff () iconia com>
Subject: Losing Our Edge?
To: Dave E-mail Pamphleteer Farber <dave () farber net>
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Losing Our Edge?
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
The New York Times

Published: April 22, 2004

I was just out in Silicon Valley, checking in with high-tech entrepreneurs
about the state of their business. I wouldn't say they were universally
gloomy, but I did detect something I hadn't detected before: a real undertow
of concern that America is losing its competitive edge vis-à-vis China,
India, Japan and other Asian tigers, and that the Bush team is deaf, dumb
and blind to this situation.

Several executives explained to me that they were opening new plants in
Asia — not because of cheaper labor. Labor is a small component now in an
automated high-tech manufacturing plant. It is because governments in these
countries are so eager for employment and the transfer of technology to
their young populations that they are offering huge tax holidays for U.S.
manufacturers who will set up shop. Because most of these countries also
offer some form of national health insurance, U.S. companies shed that huge
open liability as well.

Other executives complained bitterly that the Department of Homeland
Security is making it so hard for legitimate foreigners to get visas to
study or work in America that many have given up the age-old dream of coming
here. Instead, they are studying in England and other Western European
nations, and even China. This is leading to a twofold disaster. [...]

--snip--

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/22/opinion/22FRIE.html

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
geoff.goodfellow () iconia com * Prague - CZ * telephone +420 603 706 558
"success is getting what you want & happiness is wanting what you get"
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/01/biztech/articles/17drop.html
http://blogging.cz

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