LCHIEN
here's my take on the article.
I think there's a confusion between inventing, designing and manufacturing.
I'm not sure, but even though the Kindle is made abroad from a worldwide base of parts, my guess is that it was designed here in the US. The Apple products are designed here in the US, and maybe built in California, but the parts come from all over the world.
We live in a global economy now, the high tech world has made us use materials that are from all over the world, and transportation advances have made it possible to ship components all over the world for a small markup in cost. This allows producers from one area in the world to be competitive even though shipping from 8000 miles away.
In manufacturing things that are commodities and price is a primary concern you have to use the cheapest and most dependable suppliers. Suppliers have evolved for various components (including labor) in many countries. Some benefit from low labor costs, some benefit from skilled labor, some benefit from local currencies artificially held low, many are subsidized in fact by local and national governments that look the other way in terms of pollution/environmental damage and exploitation of labor. In my book, permitting environmental damage and pollution are equivalent to taking out a loan that our future generations will have to pay for in cleanup costs, health costs and damaged lands.
That said, my points will be
1. we are still a leading design center. Many key technologies in electronics are US developments
2. We are a leading exporter of high technology stuff that has no competition
3. we buy lots of stuff designed here and made abroad.
4. Yes, the manufacturers of low cost electronics are learning how to design and build them. That's a natural progression. Are they leading the way with new technologies or just minor improvements on the old?
5. We are benefiting from the low cost of living and the willingness to accept environmental damage in many countries to get work. We ourselves are no longer willing to do that for the money.
6. we live in a global economy - there will always be pockets were things are produced by local economies that are lower priced. That's why we buy produce from farmers rather than grow our own and in turn sell them gasoline and tractors that they can't produce efficiently on their own.
I think there's a confusion between inventing, designing and manufacturing.
I'm not sure, but even though the Kindle is made abroad from a worldwide base of parts, my guess is that it was designed here in the US. The Apple products are designed here in the US, and maybe built in California, but the parts come from all over the world.
We live in a global economy now, the high tech world has made us use materials that are from all over the world, and transportation advances have made it possible to ship components all over the world for a small markup in cost. This allows producers from one area in the world to be competitive even though shipping from 8000 miles away.
In manufacturing things that are commodities and price is a primary concern you have to use the cheapest and most dependable suppliers. Suppliers have evolved for various components (including labor) in many countries. Some benefit from low labor costs, some benefit from skilled labor, some benefit from local currencies artificially held low, many are subsidized in fact by local and national governments that look the other way in terms of pollution/environmental damage and exploitation of labor. In my book, permitting environmental damage and pollution are equivalent to taking out a loan that our future generations will have to pay for in cleanup costs, health costs and damaged lands.
That said, my points will be
1. we are still a leading design center. Many key technologies in electronics are US developments
2. We are a leading exporter of high technology stuff that has no competition
3. we buy lots of stuff designed here and made abroad.
4. Yes, the manufacturers of low cost electronics are learning how to design and build them. That's a natural progression. Are they leading the way with new technologies or just minor improvements on the old?
5. We are benefiting from the low cost of living and the willingness to accept environmental damage in many countries to get work. We ourselves are no longer willing to do that for the money.
6. we live in a global economy - there will always be pockets were things are produced by local economies that are lower priced. That's why we buy produce from farmers rather than grow our own and in turn sell them gasoline and tractors that they can't produce efficiently on their own.
Loring in Katy, TX USA
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