Posted on 05/31/2005 4:06:20 AM PDT by aculeus
EDMONTON - China's doing things the rest of us don't even know about, and unless we change quickly they will streak past us, futurist Frank Ogden says.
"They are speeding ahead in so many areas because they have the ability to get big things done very quickly," the man known as Dr. Tomorrow told the Construction Specifications Canada conference here.
"They're very smart, they think differently from us, and they have no restrictions on anything," said Ogden, an 84-year-old world traveller who lives on a high-tech houseboat in Vancouver.
In three weeks they relocated the residents of a large city block in Shanghai, bulldozed the buildings and built a 1,000-bed isolation hospital using 10,000 conscripted workers, Ogden said.
On the last day of construction, a stream of ambulances was bringing in patients.
"They work 15 hours a day, every day, with no union interference, and that's what's going to beat us," Ogden told the gathering of architects, engineers and other construction-related sectors.
Their wages have also doubled in the last couple of years to 28 cents an hour, so the workers think they're making big money.
And China's not only manufacturing pots and pans any more. It's producing quality, intricate items such as scientific instruments, he said.
"The infrastructure stinks, but they're working on that. And when they decide to do something it happens in a hurry."
They also have no restrictions on reproductive technology so they could clone people and rent them out to North America, which is facing a shortage of workers, said Ogden, with a wink.
North America's future will be vastly different as China's economy grows and the world keeps moving ahead at warp speed, he said.
Nine-to-five jobs will become a piece of history as we put in almost full days on the job, he predicted.
"We also have to learn much faster or other countries will do it and sell it back to us. The current, inefficient university lecture system will have to replaced, and he sees a day when we're all using new Sony technology that puts information into our brain patterns while we're asleep. "That was in the realm of science fiction for years, but just imagine how quickly you can absorb information that way."
Companies will also have to become incredibly creative to compete globally, Ogden said.
"Don't even think of a box, never mind outside it. Every company should have a smart 12-year-old who thinks off-the-wall. In China they've just grown a monkey's heart, and if you can do that you can do anything."
dfinlayson@thejournal.canwest.com
© The Edmonton Journal 2005
Jeez. I'll just slit my wrists now, thank you.
I don't know if you got pinged to this thread yet? This author is basically saying the same thing.
In the 1980's and 1990's, Japan, with their superior work ethic, greater brilliance, and amazing efficiency, was going to bury us.
In the 1970's and 1960's, Russia, with her parity in nuclear arms, more efficient production model, more-educated and culturally-aware populace was going to bury us.
In the 1940's, Germany, with it's vast technical superiority, fanatically-devoted populace, and amazing tactics, was going to bury us.
In the 1700's, Britain, with her amazing navy, disciplined troops, superior infrastructure, and technological advantage, was going to bury us.
Now they tell us China, with her efficient production, vastly-smarter populace, burgeoning population and incredible organizational skills are going to bury us.
Okay.
Yep - Slave labor always trumps capitalism.
Yep, now China's going to surpass the US. Next year we'll hear how the New Iraq© will surpass the US.
This is what will probably engulf them in civil war. The "haves" are rather blatently mistreating the "have-nots". Even in judicial matters, the "haves" can literally get away with murder of the "have-nots". There is great trouble brewing inside China.
(My wife is Chinese, and she reads news from China.)
The grocery stores are jaw-dropping. At least 2 employees lurk in EVERY aisle. I don't know if this is how they try to correct unemployment statistic problems, but it is clear why the wages remain low. Interestingly enough, despite the huge volume of aisle helpers (who don't speak English, so I muddle along on my own), the vash registers have only one person... no baggers to help cut the check-out time in half!
Another problem they are desperately trying to resolve: judicial competence. The rule of Law is relatively young here, and few judges outside of the cities (China is 65% rural) have legal training. They are appointed by local gov't, and are often beholden to politicians. Corruption is also a major hurdle. China now mandates that all new judges have legal training, but the pass rate for the Chinese Bar exam is incredibly low (10%?), and this is a huge need to fill the many positions. It will take at least a generation to make enough of a dent that these problems will begin to subside... but getting rid of the taint may take even longer.
This is, of course, one of the primary fears of the Chinese government...and part of the reason for the persecution of Christians in China. The problem is, the government isn't capable of conceiving any other response to the growth of Christianity in China other than to try to suppress it through violence.
I wonder when all that new construction done so quickly with unskilled labor is going to start falling apart. I am sure it is not built to last as much of Americas was even though our infrastructure is old and in need of a overhaul.
A stopped clock gets at least two accurate readings a day. The rest of the forecasts by this guy are as if he were...well..living in an igloo off the coast of Vancouver.
He needs to come here to Shanghai to take another look around, assuming he ever came here in the first place.
Totally empty and unused, some had unfinished (dirt) floors on the first level, but they sure looked nice. I'm sure it's still going on with the Olympics getting close.
RE: Supermarkets - Beware the jelly donut like confection filled with fish paste.
It also helps if you outright steal intelectual property and incorporate it in products you sell without the pesky need of paying royalties.
Our illegal illiterates are much better than their imported provincial workers.
lol I dunno about much better although we sure have better quality control.
Quote: I wonder when all that new construction done so quickly with unskilled labor is going to start falling apart. I am sure it is not built to last as much of Americas.
Yeah that china wall was also built with unskilled labor....
thanks for the advice... I am sampling things at random.
The construction continues here apace. Cranes litter the skyline everywhere. There are about 50+ at the end of the airport, and 7 out my window. Prep for Beijing 08 is blamed for most of it, but I wonder how much is really just a product of the 9% growth rate, and/or the transformation of Beijing from an industrial city to a major capital city.
Like I want to be in a hospital that it took 10,000 draftees three weeks to build! Sure...
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