http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/05/17/bakers-available-bakers-employed-and-baker-productivity/ Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:35:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/05/17/bakers-available-bakers-employed-and-baker-productivity/#comment-3076 Wesley Fryer Thu, 18 May 2006 16:49:25 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/?p=1015#comment-3076 These perspectives are very helpful and needed. I hear so much talk motivated by fear at educational technology conferences and elsewhere-- in addition to not thinking of countries like companies, I also think people need to understand how the global economic picture is not necessarily zero-sum. People want to view issues as black and white-- and some are, but I think many economic issues (as you point out) involve more tradeoffs and shades of gray rather than pedantic stances of good/bad and right/wrong. These perspectives are very helpful and needed. I hear so much talk motivated by fear at educational technology conferences and elsewhere– in addition to not thinking of countries like companies, I also think people need to understand how the global economic picture is not necessarily zero-sum. People want to view issues as black and white– and some are, but I think many economic issues (as you point out) involve more tradeoffs and shades of gray rather than pedantic stances of good/bad and right/wrong.

]]> http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/05/17/bakers-available-bakers-employed-and-baker-productivity/#comment-3074 Peter Rodriguez Thu, 18 May 2006 15:11:32 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/?p=1015#comment-3074 Thanks for listening to my podcast and for sharing some of my insights via your blog. The economic pressures that result from integrating China and India into the world economy are quite substantial, but development in these giant nations won't lead to falling wealth in the US or elsewhere. Sure, the costs are real and we should expect that the distributional effects will be notable, particularly for those without higher education. We must deal with this through policy and wise choices in education. Mostly, what I want to dispel is the use of the 'company' analogy to think about growth in countries. Countries are not like companies though we often use the same language to talk about them. When you use the company analogy and think about going out of business and such, country-level discussions quickly become senseless. Lastly, looking at the chart posted should reveal why the pressure for outsourcing, and particularly for immigration will remain high. It's not really a growth issue or the lack of it in low-income nations. It's a level issue. So long as income level differential remain high the pressure will be there. Even growing lights-out at 9%+ per year, Chinese would likely immigrate into a nations, like the US, where income levels are ten times higher if they shared a border with them. Haitians cross like mad into the Dominican Republic and it's not because the DR is a wealthy nation. This world economy poses many challenges, but all are assailable. Thanks for listening to my podcast and for sharing some of my insights via your blog. The economic pressures that result from integrating China and India into the world economy are quite substantial, but development in these giant nations won’t lead to falling wealth in the US or elsewhere. Sure, the costs are real and we should expect that the distributional effects will be notable, particularly for those without higher education. We must deal with this through policy and wise choices in education. Mostly, what I want to dispel is the use of the ‘company’ analogy to think about growth in countries. Countries are not like companies though we often use the same language to talk about them. When you use the company analogy and think about going out of business and such, country-level discussions quickly become senseless. Lastly, looking at the chart posted should reveal why the pressure for outsourcing, and particularly for immigration will remain high. It’s not really a growth issue or the lack of it in low-income nations. It’s a level issue. So long as income level differential remain high the pressure will be there. Even growing lights-out at 9%+ per year, Chinese would likely immigrate into a nations, like the US, where income levels are ten times higher if they shared a border with them. Haitians cross like mad into the Dominican Republic and it’s not because the DR is a wealthy nation. This world economy poses many challenges, but all are assailable.

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