The American Nightmare: No Exit, No Entry

Re: # 127

Saima,

That`s an amusing post! You have invested over a 1000 plus words on writing about the American System from an observer`s perspective - a vague, incomplete, inaccurate and convoluted analysis. You do seem concerned. If you weren`t then you would have looked inside to write about the salient features of the canadian economy, cultural mosaics and healthcare benefits. I guess, since these subjects are already beaten to death by the resident experts on chowk therefore they wouldn`t add much to the revolutionary drama here. Overall this was a disappointing read.

Re: # 113

[As a friend pointed out long time back to me, the whole system has evolved over 200+ years to make it work like a well balanced ecological system which gets rid of old and inefficient and constantly encourages birth and development of new ideas. Political processes, popular culture and financial markets are all geared towards making this ideal system work.

Other countries may have raw materials or talented people or open minded cultures or competitive zeal, but rarely do they have all of the remaining elements needed to have a self-correcting progressive machine on auto-pilot attracting achievers from all over the world.]

Very well put.

I liked the analogy - ``self-correcting progressive machines on auto-pilot`` :) That`s a realistic and philosophical approach. Sweet. Let`s hope that it will provide some food for thought to the Canadians on board. They may be able to see beyond their cultural mosaics and health care benefits.

#129 by ZahraJ

It seems to me that Saima arrived in the US/canada in 1997 and now lives in Canada…I doubt that anyone can understand or really relate to the system in such a short time. Her ideas about the US corporations and the life in general are not fully developed.

I did not post anything here as I thought she was having difficulty with Freesoul’s excellent understanding of the life in the US, even though he has not spent a whole lot of time here.

I recommend you read the conversation between her and freesoul about Job security etc. You will figure out that she only has superficial knowledge of the US system and thats why this article lacks depth and authenticity.

re # 55 and 57, Hi Saima Shah, I haven`t followed what went after the fifties posts, so apologize if this may have been stumbled on by someone already, but here are some of my thoughts to your response. When I said people recoup costs on an education in the long term, it wasn`t meant necessarily in their own field. A jobless scientist could find work as a shoe salesperson, and still be better employed financially compared to a regular high-school dropout shoe salesperson. S/He may not be very effective (ie. a better salesperson) but they would be more efficient at what they did (in things like sales reports, presentations etc). That would create value for their employers as well as making themselves better-off than in their previous unemployed state.
Likewise, corporations that offer training to their employees, if they outsource, do you really think they outsource everything? Including management? No, that stays at home, in controlling hands, that are better able to direct the use of such-and-such resources. So, if someone, including the most basic functionary in the corporate hierarchy- the factory worker - finds themselves out of their own job after being retrained, they still have the option of other jobs that utilize parts or all of their whole (new and old) skillset, either within the old company or next door. Companies very rarely like to lose good employees, esp. losing them to competition. If the payoff from retraining is less than the benefits from outsourcing, in the US atleast (where my work experience has been), they prefer to give employees the choice to be trained on something totally new, and still remain within the organization. Employees that have a history with their firm also bring understanding of company philosophy, corporate culture, work lifestyles, etc.. - the intangibles - that are often as valuable as their skillset itself. Good companies, that know how to make money - would rather hold on to those employees than lay them off. It`s easier, and may be good business, to layoff a factory worker pressing a lever 40,000 miles away than fire a staffer in the same building as the main centers of management, which is where all the business really gets done, where all the decisions really get made, the core. Effective management can not be outsourced. Yes, call centers and customer service desks in India have managers, supers, etc.., but they still have to answer to Corporate, and Corporate is always retraining its own people to stay cutting-edge. Plus, if a company becomes so ``mature`` in the economic growth stage, that it dies out, and its employees all find themselves out of luck getting work in their areas again, well, theoretically as well as in my experience, it`s a plus for the market as a whole. Obsolescence is obsolete, and new blood comes in, brings fresh ideas, technology, needed skills, etc.. People find themselves asking for new careers, seeking newer degrees etc.., and that cycle starts all over again. What`s old hat goes away, and new suits take their place, bringing with them new ways of doing things, more productively, more profitably - it benefits everyone in the end. It`s cruel but it`s necessary.
Ok about being an insider, all I care to say is, there is evil only if you choose to look at it that way. I don`t agree with the statement that Corporations are staffed by people who loathe each other, on the contrary, I firmly believe corporate philosophy drives the attitude of each and every employee, and those that don`t fit in, simply disappear (get left behind in the promotion circus, voluntarily leave or ultimately get fired, not because they don`t know how to do things, but because they don`t know how to do them right - or the Corporation`s definition of right, which varies from company to company). Direction from the top is imperative to achieving objectives and goals. Look carefully around you, your co-workers are working together on a corporate issued directive and may not even realize it. Even the worst of corporations have their agendas faithfully carried out by their minions, and that`s not evil, that`s teamwork. Those inefficiencies are an integral part of the makeup, they are there not because the top brass don`t know about them, but because they choose to ignore it. No, imo, corporations are never going to go away, rather, they are going to become bigger and larger and more gigantic, so huge that they will seem to explode and become tiny tiny tiny fragments of individual beings doing their own thing moving to their own rhythm singing their own songs... but that is all a grand illusion, one which Corporations are very good at, since the beginning of time. Enjoy.

Re: # 129

Dear Zahra

I really don`t know what makes you so angry. You have made an assumption that I must be Canadian based on my criticism. It is interesting to see that to be considered American I have to subscribe to the same world view as the mainstream...which was also referred in the article--albeit imperfectly. There is terrible pressure to conform in America. Here is something fun for you to chew on. I am a global worker--an opportunistic one. And this sort of questioning of systems will be more and more common in a global world. I also think that your responses to my article are tangential. You have attacked me, rather than my ideas.

Re: # 132

Hi--very interesting reply. I agree Corporations aren`t evil at all.

Re: # 131

HP Sahib ... In addition to your #131, I would add this.

you guys coulda fooled me. I have lived in NYC for 2 decades, have voted in 4 presidential elections – yeah, I brought Bill Clinton to power. After reading these halfass essays by Canadians I have learnt so much about the system where I have been wasting my time for so long. I did not know anything after all these years. Oh well, you learn something new everyday.

I just want to thank my Canadian friends, in particular Romair Sahib, who knows more about my city both than I do, and than he knows about his own. Similarly, Saima Ji, seems thoroughly knowledgeable about the US politics, economy, corporate organizational structures, balance of payments, etc., than the WSJ.

I am now so scared after learning that I am an immigrant and that it is not nice to be an immigrant in the United States.

I just wana ask a simple question. Please don’t take it personally if you live in Canada. What the fk do they do to you there for people to turn out to be like these? I thought Pakis in England were bad, but I was wrong. Whenever I go back to England, my Paki friends there, who have never in their life traveled more than 60 miles outside of Brighton or some other cheapass place know so much about America that it puts me to shame.

Re: # 106

``1. Creative brainstorming IS allowed in corporate life otherwise they will become dinosaurs and would disappear. ``

So? never denied it. Clarified elsewhere. Capitalist creativity is addictive and liberating.

2. ``The challenge for us in this generation is to adjust to it by being innovative in terms of how we can still add value to the system. It’s not an easy task. Focus should be on our education system and finding other ways to add value rather than questioning wisdom of global competition. ``

There is a lot more than just the educational system as you understand it. Just fixing the school system isn`t possible. The problem goes deeper.

RE #100 by SaimaShah on November 20, 2005 0:24am PT
Re: # 98

And how do you propose `people` should `adapt` to `change.` For example:
1. Who should adapt?

Whoever wants to keep their job and stay with that company/corporation

2. What does adaptation mean?

Changing the way you do things to fit they things your bosses want done.

3. What does the change you talk about look like? The leader (CEO and senior management) should know, or knows. Their vision for the corporation.

What is changing? Whatever they (top exec mgmt) want, including themselves.

who is changing IT? The followers (managers and staff)

and why? To make more money.


4. How should we convince people that it is they who need to adapt to change?

You influence them using whatever legal persuasive means you have.


5. If they agree to `adapt` to `change` what can they do to prove they have successfully `adapted?`.

Benchmarking, scorecard, etc.


My A in Leadership class still rankles...

Re: # 137

Thanks for the explicit reply and acceptance of one of the main ideas in my humble attempt to show the pattern of life in America. The famous `change` that people are supposed to `adapt` to is all about making more money aka growth in Economics, aka profits in Accounting. There is no other goal.

The entire system colludes towards this one purpose. And it is interesting to see that still the promised growth in incomes has not been realised.

Re: # 133

Saima,

Is pointing out inadequacies in the article synonymous with being angry?

You wrote an analysis to share with the readership on Chowk. If you are so sensitive about accepting the critique then you should have shown sensitivity before posting offending generalizations in your article. Apparently, everyone in America is dumb and the writer is the visionary on board to change the fates of many and educate them. Your analysis is weak, to put it nicely. Your focus on the immigrants` stance had some weight and worth exploring angles. You can probably extract that portion to create a stand alone article. That would be an interesting read. In future, please do not dump inaccurate and incomplete portrayal of a subject area with no head and tail making it look glitzy.

Re #138, ``There is no other goal``.

DUH! :)

money

buys happiness

buys democracy

buys lunch.

#131 and 135

How incredibly childish these replies were. ZahraJ has misunderstood and taken a tangential meaning. Do you really think that making assumptions about whether I am Canadian or American or black or white will eliminate the ideas and concerns in the article?

The ideas in the article are real and valid. Who speaks them is besides the point. Isn`t that what you love about America? Then, why is it so easy to forget the singular greatness of the American way and sinking to personal attacks.

Are you really American? If so, why the defensiveness? Shouldn`t you adapt to changing realities that the world is more critical of America and that the same bright brains who were attracted to America now want something more.

Your replies show that America has indeed become a quasi iron curtain country that subscribes to a point of view no longer open to dissent and debate. And that people who can be detached and examine it because they have an alternative identity, won`t do so either.

I think to get a cosmpolitan view of the world, and to understand different cultures, values, societies, nations etc., one has to actually live in different places. To do that one has to have the courage to move around. It is not easy to do.........Only then can one make comparisons.........

If one has not experienced two different things, and only has experience in one, then one can never reach any definitive conclusion, on what is better and what is worse......Is Lahore better than Karachi, for a particular community........People should go live in Lahore, then go live in Karachi, and then form an opinion, and present it...........Or accept the fact that they are not in a position to form an opinion. Misguided nationalism, based on a lack of knowledge of other places, is exactly that - misguided........

Bite into an apple and bite into a peach, and then try to explain which tastes better. If one has only tasted an apple and only seen a peach from a distance, then one can, at best, scream loudly that the apple tastes better. But one can never say with certainity whether it does or does not...........

GT#126:

I think that we are mostly in agreement.

``Modern markets, with fewer producers (corporations), MAY be more prone to collusion.``

I would settle for even two companies as long as they cannot collude. The problem arises when you have a monopoly like my cable company where I do not have any choice and have to depend upon a regulator to look after my interests. Even here, things are not totally bleak because the satellite dish does provide some competition and there is always the gray market from across the border.

I agree that money plays a big role in the US politics these days, which is partly the reason we have people like Rumsfeld and Dick Cheny driving the US govt. policies. But the US system has recognized this problem and I wouldn`t be surprised if some stringent controls are placed on corporate funding of political parties.

There is also a general feeling that corporate bosses pay themselves all too handsomely in both Canada and the US and regardless of performances, sometimes even when the firm is on the verge of bankruptcy. I am hoping that some smart politician would campaign on the pledge of putting a ceiling on corporate compensations, maybe even a maximum ratio between the highest and lowest paid worker in the firm.

The issue of welfare is somewhat different in my opinion. I do not think that it is the job of a corporation to improve societal welfare, other than by doing what it is supposed to do, i.e., creating wealth by make efficient use of resources in delivering its product or service.

It is the job of the civil society to ensure laws that provide adequate minimum wages and a proper safety net for those who fall through the cracks through fiscal policies and welfare programs. And here, I would claim, at the risk of attracting pointed barbs, that we Canucks do a somewhat better job than Americans.

Re: # 131

I never really talked about job security or insecurity other than pointing out that the Corporation has only one goal. You can measure that goal as good or bad using your choice of yardstick--I used one in my article that was critical of that goal. Others have used a different one.

Btw, job security is not an agenda for this column. Perhaps that has been your concern at some point in time?

As to whether or not I have other agendas, for that you will have to wait to read the column as it develops over time.