WAY OT: New York is NOT the center of the universe

[Shawn Miller]

So true, Mark. It might be worth noting that, China really is doing much of what the US did for the past 150 years to build it’s (the US) economy… i.e. invest in the infrastucture (and dictators) of third world countries to extract natural resources… of course, this was also backed by military assitance and action. See Cuba, Guatemala, Iran and Costa Rica to name a few.

To stay a bit more on topic though, I wonder what it means to those of us who work in film/video postproduction that China has one of the largest high speed internet infrastuctures in the world? So far, I’ve seen a number of print and web design jobs fly south and west because of “cheap” labor… are editors, motion graphics and VFX artists so far behind? How do we turn this possible future into an opportunity?

Shawn

[Mark Raudonis]

[Shawn Miller] “I’ve seen a number of print and web design jobs fly south and west because of “cheap” labor… are editors, motion graphics and VFX artists so far behind?”

VFX: Done and done. Already that work is global, chasing the cheapest labor pool available. That’s a whole ‘nother thread about why most of those companies have unsustainable business models.

mark

[Bob Cole]

[Shawn Miller] “how is it that an immature, unsophisticated country like China can maintain a 228 billion dollar trade deficit with the US?”

Interesting thread. All I know is what I read in the papers, but I would answer your question this way:

Pretend for a minute that you’re a young mechanical engineer with a cool new idea for manufacturing a product or a part for a product. If you’re in China, it’s easy: pay the right official, rent a building, hire the key employees, buy the machine tool, and hang a sign offering semi-skilled jobs. Within weeks, you’ll be manufacturing.

In the U.S.A., you’ll start by hiring a lawyer, an accountant, perhaps a consultant in compliance for your particular manufacturing process, and a bookkeeper. You’ll apply for permits, consulting regularly with the above experts to make sure you don’t violate some regulation.

And, some months later, just as you’re about to start manufacturing your product, you’ll see that somebody in China is offering it for half of your COST.

Distance a worry? No problem. It is probably about the same cost to send something (via container) from China to LA as from LA to Las Vegas.

[Shawn Miller]

“VFX: Done and done. Already that work is global, chasing the cheapest labor pool available.”

Right, that should have occured to me as I was writing. But thanks for the reminder. Perhaps I should brush up on my Cantonese and start learning Mandrain… I’ve been told that it’s easier to pick up. 🙂

[Shawn Miller]

Thanks Bob, I think you make some good points. Although, I should be fair and state that my comments were rhetorical and more for Chris.

Our trade imbalance (as I understand it) has more to do with our tax policy than excessive regulation (though that’s part of it). Our market is flooded with inexpensive (and sometimes dangerous) foreign goods because our import taxes are low in some cases and nonexistent in other cases. But on the flip side, it’s difficult to get US goods into countries that protect their own markets. In short, we export cash and raw materials, and we import cheap goods, while our financial institutions hold on to free/cheap money they got in the last few bailouts… and they’re not lending it to small/medium sized businesses. I’m not an economist, so hopefully some of the smarter business folks will jump in and correct me if I’m wrong.

Thanks,

Shawn

[Chris Dolan]

“For a second-world country, we sure seem to borrow a lot of money from them. And how is it that an immature, unsophisticated country like China can maintain a 228 billion dollar trade deficit with the US?”
Shawn,

Do you live here/ have you lived here? Live in Beijing for a while and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

The OP suggested China is ‘the center of the universe.’ If I grasp the concept correctly, the ‘center of the universe’ should be more than just a place from which you can borrow money. The reason the US outsources so much work to China is because large numbers of people here are paid annually less than you spend per year on lunch and dinner. What would a minimum wage of $10 or $20/hr for skilled workers in China do to that 228 billion dollar trade deficit?

I think China has a lot of potential…but it’s just not there yet.

Chris Dolan

[Ron Lindeboom]

[Herb Sevush] “That’s exactly right, many large western cities can say the same thing, but can China? NY is a center, no more so than London, Paris, Berlin – the question is weather a closed society like China’s can produce a city that wields the same influence.”

Almost daily, we see the names and emails of new members signing up that are based in China. They include Indians, Pakistanis, Scots, Irish, Russians, Germans, Americans, English, Spaniards, Latinos of North, Central and South American origin, Australians and many others.

It seems to have really escalated over the past 24 months. Before then, it was a trickle, now it is all the time, everyday.

In the erstwhile TV series, Firefly, all of the characters spoke Mandarin in addition to their native tongue. And as many of my friends who travel and work in China tell me, do not walk up to anyone over 25 and speak to them in English — they will just look at you confused. But walk up to anyone under 25 and speak English and they will almost nearly always reply back to you in English.

Yes, the world is changing.

Best regards,

Ron Lindeboom
CEO, CreativeCOW.net

Creativity is a type of learning process where the teacher and pupil are located in the same individual.

Graveyards are full of people the world couldn’t do without.

[Neil Hurwitz]

You have got to be kidding
China is the biggest civil rights abuser in the world
You want FREEDOM go to New York
You want the State to rule your life go to CHINA
You Want to live in a Pollution Nightmare go to CHINA
You Want to Only have One child go to CHINA
If you let your son beleive that CHINA is the future
you are NUTS

Neil Hurwitz

[Mark Raudonis]

Neil,

I can’t control your interpretation of what I said, but for the benefit of others reading this, I’ll just say that
my interpretation of “the future” doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m happy about what I see. I DO BELIEVE I’m correct when I say China will be a force to deal with IN EVERYBODY’S future.

That’s a fact.

Responding to your other comments will just turn this forum into one of those talk shows on Fox news, so I’ll resist the temptation.

mark