The American Nightmare: No Exit, No Entry Re: # 185

Re: ``the anti-US tone of this article``

1. So, you think innovation is possible without critique of an existing system? Or do you really think innovation is about gadgets? That it happens always in business and not in the larger social fabric?
2. Why do you consider criticism of the dogma that US currently subscribes to `anti-US?`. Is USA just about capitalism? Is the Free Market all that US has come to mean? Is consumption the only yardstick of progress?

Elsewhere you have spoken of the history of America, might I draw your attention to the American present in your own language:

Which country went into Iraq on dubious grounds, un ratified by the UN that it had helped create?
Which country owes a public apology for invading Iraq?
Which country is after the entire world to sign the Non profileration treaty for nuclear arms yet will never do so itself?
Which country sabotages public debate on global warming?
Which country has effectively sabotaged implementation of Kyoto treaty?
Which country publicizes spending numbers per quarter rather than annual incomes when it discusses the economy on TV?
Which country has fined demonstrators for standing outside the Presidents house and protesting against the massacre of their children in Iraq? Even though the right is the first amendment? 370 demonstrators were fined recently
Which country has signed in the most controversial laws e.g., Patriot Act in the last few years?
Which country has effectively sidelined any dissent about the ``System`` by labeling it as a leftist agenda?
Which country is planning on letting corporations not provide full medical insurance, instead create a medical account? Ostensibly to make America remain competitive?.
Which country`s number of people below the poverty line just crossed 56million?. This country has the highest per capita income, so the income disparity is shocking.
Which country relies mostly on foreigners to fill its Universities?

You may be surprised to know but there are other people who have left USA because they felt marginalized. Travel outside a bit and find out what concerns the rest of the world about America. And what are other countries doing to address the real concerns of this phase of globalization--the goal for many other countries is not just increasing consumption (an idea that Americans adopted in the 1950s and now it has adopted them) but the more important goal of sustainable development.

The American Nightmare: No Exit, No Entry Re: # 183

SR, it is great to hear from you. I appreciate your comments. I extrapolated and expected people to come ride with me. In my defense, the topic is huge and there is years of work here. If written with more detail it would be huge. Even a short form would be about 10 pages long at least. Don`t we all come across tediously processed writing that loses people in numbers? I wanted to reduce the noise and focus on the pattern--wasn`t it Einstein who said the imagination is more important than facts?. Thank you for a great reply.

Rgds
Saima
ps: I agree that this version of America must be an imposter.

Buta, Pattey and Allah Chowrangi Re: # 21

Thanks.

Allah Chowrangi is a real roundabout in Karachi. The monument is a three dimensional arabic word for `Allah.` At the bottom there are pasted signboards for `Pepsi`. I should post the picture up one of these days.

Rgds

S

The American Nightmare: No Exit, No Entry Re: # 158

Romair

It is a long standing myth that Canadian taxes are higher than US. There are tax breaks for children, student tuition, single parents that arent available elsewhere. I have run into white Americans who want to reclaim lost Canadian residency because the women feel they can raise their children and go for a Phd out here more easily. Also, 7% sales tax is waived for children`s things. Also, below a certain income people get refunds of the sales tax. When income is lower, the govt. also provides child support. The higher sales tax puts a limit on greed. Instead of going for the latest and greatest, people are dissuaded from consuming. It means Canada will always be a smaller consumption market but meet other goals that human beings need. It is incredibly easy to access higher level education. The quality of media is also higher, with even free community newspapers providing well researched and useful information. There are fewer ads and hardly any sensationalism.

The American Nightmare: No Exit, No Entry Re: # 178

Hey Samina, wish I could come. The book is excellent.

The American Nightmare: No Exit, No Entry Re: # 167

Thanks for that Samina. There are a handful of scholars who are revisiting Marxist theory (in Canada). In fact some don`t even consider the infamous experiment of USSR as technically socialist. The divide between socialism/capitalism is artificial and perhaps quite quite unnecessary. Some answers may well lie in integrating these ideas successfully. The field of economics has sidelined Marx. Marx is only talked about it theories of communication and political science. New words for old seems to be the way to go for any serious consideration, since any reference to Marx is so politically charged.

The American Nightmare: No Exit, No Entry () Now, Time For What I Thought Of the Interactions ()

Thanks to all posters:

I was touched at some people`s faith in America--somewhat blind I`d say but interesting (and highlighted in the article as the popular rationale). My viewpoint (as in the article) is that America is not positioned to succeed in the global realities of today because of various factors highlighted in the article, there will be more on this in the following months.

The replies unfortunately proved the points in the article. The dissenters and critics of the system tend to be outside America rather than from within--any dissenter is either labeled Marxist (I got that several times) or non American i.e., European/Canadian without US work experience (hilariously off) or a clueless FOB desi (points to a hang-up).

I got some excellent replies that went beyond labeling, tangential `facts`, defensive postures and personal attacks. These did not agree with me in many cases, however, they provided important feedback that I will consider next time around. Replies from GT, dash dash dot dash dash (man, it is hard to quote your nick), Inquirer, SaminaSha, kidbeegorilla, mirmir were educative. Pardesi, freesoul, and ZahraJ read into the article somewhat but the feedback was interesting. Their responses helped me understand just how sensitive this topic can be.

Btw, it isn`t like that in other comparable countries--this type of chasm between Left and Right is more often in less developed societies with strong income and educational disparity between the Haves and Have Nots. You guys might want to get out more in the world. May be things have changed in your countries of origin and elsewhere while you were in America.

I really don`t want to get pulled into a mine is bigger type of debate that some replies went into, so I`d rather not give my feedback about those. Lastly, the story of globalization is deeper and more interesting than whether America is the best place in the world or not blah blah.

The American Nightmare: No Exit, No Entry Re: # 151

The reason for the incompetence in Canada is several fold:

1. Hiring is on very narrowly defined competencies unlike the US
2. There is a strong bias against foreigners with accents, so immigrants don`t get upper level jobs unless they join at low levels and prove themselves.
3. Whereas US doesn`t care where someone got certified, Canada does.

The American Nightmare: No Exit, No Entry Re: # 149

Thanks for the reply.

To be frank this article had a tangential reference to corporations--global corporates, not just American. Freesoul defended the sense of empowerment and autonomy that workers feel in some corporate cultures, even though that wasn`t the point I was making at all.

Anyway, next time for more.

rgds

S

The American Nightmare: No Exit, No Entry Re: # 147

Thanks Zahra

Point taken. Article sucked and didn`t meet your standards.

The column perspective is holistic. I am fighting a monster--the ideas around globalization are vast, exploratory and interdisciplinary.

Btw, just an FYI, from what I read, the Canadian health care system also sucks. People go to India for surgeries.

The American Nightmare: No Exit, No Entry 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.

The American Nightmare: No Exit, No Entry #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.

The American Nightmare: No Exit, No Entry 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.

The American Nightmare: No Exit, No Entry 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.

The American Nightmare: No Exit, No Entry Re: # 132

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

The American Nightmare: No Exit, No Entry 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.