From: vagans@eanna.net   
      
   On Tue, 11 Nov 2003, j3r wrote:   
      
   >   
   >   
   > In  Sourcerer    
   wrote:   
      
      
      
   >   
   > > "...humanity is not ready for a world where working is something you   
   > > do when you feel like it".   
   > >   
   > > If so, 1st world states will have to devise a colossal 'make work'   
   > > program employing several hundred million of its citizens in order to   
   > > sustain post-industrial capitalism, in essence paying us to consume.   
      
   > Alternately, we just wait for our wealth to spread throughout the   
   > world, at which point the living standards differential between   
   > countries becomes pretty small. Of course, this sucks for everyone   
   > in the 1st world.   
      
   I would not characterize what is happening as 'spreading our wealth   
   throughout the world', unless you mean 'advancing' or 'investing' our   
   wealth. Such "spreading" produces a return on investment for the 1st   
   world, which beggars the folks who live where it is invested, no matter   
   the wealth-effects displayed in a few 3rd world port cities.   
      
   It beggars, as well, workers in the 1st world, but the differential may   
   remain constant, since the 3rd world workers have to work for wages that   
   permits the production of commodities for 1st world workers who have   
   less money to spend on things. In the US a generation ago GM was the   
   largest employer. Now it is WalMart. Not counting in inflation or debt,   
   the average worker has maybe a third of the discretionary income they   
   once had in the US.   
      
   I have no problem with levelling the differential, if that would help. I   
   don't see Chinese steelworkers' conditions rising, though, anymore than   
   I saw them rising for Mexicans in the 80s when steel left Pittsburgh for   
   the Maquilidora. Someone got the 'differential' and it wasn't   
   steelworkers in either country.   
      
   Same is true for information workers. I know someone whose job is to   
   develop Asian labor resources that will replace his wife's job, Poly's   
   job, and, if you're still in the same field, your job.   
      
   His one job is to eliminate thousands of jobs here. He will create   
   thousands of jobs in Thailand and India at way lower wages. Someone will   
   pocket the 'differential'.   
      
   --   
     (__)    Sourcerer   
    /(<>)\ O|O|O|O||O||O When you're looking for something that doesn't exist,   
     \../  |OO|||O|||O|O it makes you crazier the closer you get to it.   
      ||   OO|||OO||O||O                                   -- R. Ebert   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)