Almost Canadian

Dream on. Have you ever had any dealing with Chinese businessmen?

I love the whole global corporations bashing. The shareholders that people love to complain about, for the most part, are the pension funds belonging to the people that complain about them. The irony appears to be lost on them.

I suspect that there are very few corporations that treat their workers badly. They simply wouldn't survive for long.

Almost Canadian

And there you have revealed your true colour - envy

ExKiwilass

1. Yes. They were human, last time I looked.

2. Haaa. really. Are you seriously that naive?

Alan2005

Eventually people get pissed off enough to do something about it. Eventually is a long time however; north korea being a case in point.

ExKiwilass

Well, it seems north korea has done a really clever thing by making their leader a religious figure. But yeah. I hear that.

ExKiwilass

Interesting that you assume I would be envious of wealth. Says a lot about you, really.

But hey, if I'm wrong, feel free to share the links and facts that prove it.

iaink

What was a rather interesting debate on the pros and cons of outsourcing/ offshoring / globalisation seems to be in danger of devolving into a personal clash.

At the risk of sounding like a tired old skipping record (remember them?)

Challenge others' points of view and opinions, but do so respectfully and thoughtfully ... without insult or personal attack.

Alan2005

Individuals aren't really the problem. En mass, if everyone had a bit more money in their pockets, companies would invest in products to get people to spend that money on. Nothing spectacular maybe, but small incremental improvements that overtime are a big deal.

Currently, we are spending that money on servicing debt. RBC made $1bn profit last year - that's far in excess of the value they add to the economy. I don't blame them for raking it in, rather the government for creating the framework and environment that allows them to do so.

ExKiwilass

You sound like Niall Ferguson

I guess I don't see the connection between "spending money on stuff" and "lifting people out of poverty" esp. when the latter are in far-off countries.

Almost Canadian

The discussion was not focusing on individuals, but corporations and economics in general. You made reference to "rich people" and you didn't put forward any reason or link to support your "theory".

Almost Canadian

I suspect that Chinese and, for that matter, Indian businessmen do not share your ideals. They are unlikely to agree to things such as unions and I don't see their governments backing them on that issue.

Please provide us all with an example of a corporation that routinely treats its workers badly and is still going today.

I am not naive, pragmatic, perhaps.

It is very easy for those without "wealth" to point the fingers at those that do and state that they are all bad apples. When people do, it smacks to me of jealousy. Those that have acquired vast wealth, generally, are those that took risks that others weren't prepared to take and the risk came off. I would imagine that, for each such risk taker, there are many that took similar risks that failed. There but for the grace of god and all that.

I don't worship wealth and, I would imagine, most posters on here have more than I do. But I do not envy those with wealth either. I made my choices and I am happy with them, they made their's and, one would assume, they are happy with their's too.

ExKiwilass

Do you know much about the labour movement, unions, why they came about? Why children aren't allowed to work full time jobs now?

I'm serious. Do you think the businesses of the Industrial age were falling over themselves to give workers rights? Do you think justice only comes from having a certain cultural background?

Alan2005

If we are spending money on stuff they've made then that is exactly what should happen. Government interference with this process causes poverty, not the other way around.

ExKiwilass

India? The same country with socialist states? The same country that's thinking about reserving 1/3 of it's seats in parliament for women?

China is a socialist country, fyi.

ExKiwilass

if you mean free trade, yeah, okay.

But, that assumes those people live in a country with rule of law and all that jazz.