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Originally Posted by Cathar
They get inferior goods at a cheap price, and the guys who invented it go out of business and the innovation stops, and all the end-users are then left with is a source of inferior goods and no hope of improvement.
This is the innovational malaise that is the result of free-trade that gets passed over in the quest for cheaper prices for the masses. Sadly it seems to be the way of the world. Historically the nations that provided the cheap labour often got wealthy enough as a result of the trade imbalance that over time it sort of balanced itself out. China is a different story though. At 4x the population of the USA, it's going to take a LOT of trade imbalance before China begins to level out on the international scene. One can only hope that the manufacturing industries in the rest of the developed world can survive until that day. It seems unlikely though.
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You mean inferior like that nice HP laptop you can get for $799
The problem is not with free trade. The problem is that many in this business have no idea how to properly structure a 21st Century Company or what is required strategically to win this game given the 21st Century’s economic landscape.
Spot
A radiator forum is a good idea but given the maturing of our industry I think it will wither on the vine. Few in the real know are going to discuss their ideas openly now.