China Roars

[pmbguy]

The Big beast Roars in the east while Rome is burning. If history teaches us anything about civilisation and economics, it’s that, Civilisations rise and fall as surely as the tides. A civilisations fall is preceded and caused by economic decline. Whilst, a competing civilisation benefits.

Peace is war by other means. America and China are playing chess, with their allied countries as the pawns........ The heat coming off is palpable, and steadily getting hotter.

Economic decline leads to nationalism, and/or revolt almost anywhere. Lucky for us we are in sub-Saharan Africa, which is being eaten by China’s “procurement department”, who are very busy procuring land and recourses, big gulps at a time all over the place.

America helped create the monster, now the slave “slowly” becomes the master. America has huge military power, will they use it or fade away? I don’t know (The nuclear aspect adds complexity).

I believe we must fit our paradigm with that of China and toss away the old U-S rulebook, as it were
We are China’s pawn already, might as well take full advantage of it.

This is only my humble opinion

[Blurock]

Yes, and you can assist them by recklessly exporting jobs to China without looking for a local alternative first.

[pmbguy]

With you 100%, But SA needs to be on the right boat with how things play, for the benefit of everybody in SA. In my humble opinion, this is a historical point in time of some significance. An incremental-big shift.
Anything is possible though, history displays many totally unaccepted events.
We have no crystal ball. But we can use the past+current and understand the future in some measure

Am for and with my Country all the way

[pmbguy]

I am South African, born, and pozzy and I love the US and Europe, I live and think in “Western”.
Life is good this way.
But we have to be aware of the real big plays

[Blurock]

I am South African, born, and pozzy and I love the US and Europe, I live and think in “Western”.
Life is good this way.
But we have to be aware of the real big plays

I am glad that you are patriotic. We need more people to put South Africa first and not just think of making a quick buck for themselves. I have many first hand experiences and examples of tenderpreneurs who would not give a s#!t about their own people losing their jobs, as long as they can make a bigger buck by importing stuff that is made locally and available at the same price and better quality.

[pmbguy]

I share your sentiment

[Citizen X]

But SA needs to be on the right boat with how things play, for the benefit of everybody in SA.

This hold so very true, in my opinion it's in my best interest for our country to maintain good relations with China. China can't be ignored as a heavy weight in world economics. We benefit from our dealings with them.

[Blurock]

This hold so very true, in my opinion it's in my best interest for our country to maintain good relations with China. China can't be ignored as a heavy weight in world economics. We benefit from our dealings with them.

Yes, they open shops all over the country, employing only their own people and putting South Africans out of work. Some of our tenderpreneurs import Chinese products that could be sourced locally and from SADEC countries. Mr Price imports cheap s#!t from China and export South African jobs. So what is the benefit? Having a Big Brother that tells us that Desmond Tutu is not allowed to invite the Dalai Lama to his birthday party?!

[pmbguy]

The reality is that the door has been opened and we can’t stop it now. Many people have directly or indirectly lost or are going to lose their jobs because of China, it is a sad reality.

We can’t compete with china in almost all manufacturing. We can only go so far until the margins force closure. Not with all SA manufacturing, off course.

There are some ways to make the situation work
Some manufactures may benefit by changing tactics. I suggest manufactures Import semi manufactured goods and Complete manufacture here in SA. (If practical for what it being manufactured) This way we still take advantage from cheap imports, but retain a large percent of manufacture for SA. (Keeping/making jobs)

It is a model that can work.
Guys are making Sinotec TV’s in SA and I believe the base tech to be Samsung. Samsung did not provide a simple rebrand, it is “put together” in SA. (Samsung did withhold some screen tech)

It’s not just gloom and doom, SA can benefit from what is happening, for everybody in SA.

Big Brother won’t go away, it's in how we deal with him and the rest of the world, that counts.

[Blurock]

So we just give up and go with the flow? Give up our skills and expertise and put everything, our future, in the hands of foreigners? No, only dead fish go with the flow.

No, we should apply our minds, be resourceful and do something for ourselves. Yes, the unions are killing business, but are we as business owners without blame? All of us can refer to at least one instance of abuse and exploitation by employers.

Heard last night of a 55+ guy employed by a garden services company in Centurion. Started beginning of March as a supervisor for one of their many teams. Had a heart attack first week in April and was admitted to hospital. (Also informed his employer, sympathy the lot). When he reported back for work about 5/6 days later, he was told that he was fired. No pay as he "absconded."

Now, if I lived in Centurion and my garden services did that, I would fire them immediately (and not pay them for the month)!