On drums...

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Cliff

River City Trio

What if we did all have the same opinions?

You are walking ahead of me in the pasture, Cliff. I just arrived back here with a COMMAND C full of this, from Scotty, over at the museum:

Also remember that the tax rate is pretty high in Germany, but there is definitely a different mindset among Germans than there is with Americans.
Germans learned through lost wars, devastation, occupation and other various mistakes that the only road to prosperity was to lift everyone. Make sure everyone can make a living wage. This is reciprocated by Germans buying German made products. If you buy things your neighbor makes, its good for him, you and the entire home front.

That whole concept is lost on Americans. There has been no widespread destruction and rebuilding - only slow decay and neglect, while a select few reap the benefits. As consumers, we'd much rather buy something made in China or Korea because it's at an attractive price point. Our neighbors be damned. So what if George is out of work. I'm not, so everything is great. This philosophy is fine for the ruling and investing class - the ones who actually pull the levers and make the decisions that is. For the rest, they (we) are merely pockets to be analyzed and eventually plucked.

It took me years to finally see this. As a result, I would rather live in Germany.

I am wondering how long that particular piece of intellectual laziness will go unchallenged.

Cliff, your point of choosing who your neighbors are is hilarious, and is also the first thing I thought of, since caring for your neighbor is such a centerpiece to his notion. Three points: if you don't like your neighbor, turn him into you. If you still don't like him, report him. If you still don't like him, roast him. Yes, I know they "aren't doing that now"; in fact, you can't even talk about it in Germany, a thing that doesn't encourage me in the least.

A question: Would Scott's ideal view of the German economy still function without the US economy to invest in it and the US military to protect it?

Gee, there's been "no widespread destruction and rebuilding - only slow decay and neglect..." What is that supposed to mean? This is a mind-bogglingly vapid sketch of the condition of the United States, and, in the reverse, of Germany. Who was responsible for the destruction of Germany, other than German arrogance? Who helped, massively, with the rebuilding? Would Germany look anything like it does, today, were it not for the US? Nobody trusts the Germans; not in the 1870's, not in 1914, not in 1939, and not today.

"As consumers, we'd much rather buy something made in China or Korea because it's at an attractive price point." I see, here he's referring to Sonor's using Chinese labor, Chinese plants, and Chinese goods to build drums because they are cheaper... no, wait! He's talking about Americans!

"That whole concept is lost on Americans." Really? I don't think so. The people I know really would rather buy American, indeed, would rather "buy local" to support the local economy. Trouble is, we (I) often can't afford the local economy. I can think of many reasons for that, some of which originate in natural causes, some in global economics (some people think it is a good thing to help impoverished countries build an economy, go figure), some in economies of scale, some in greed, and much in governmental meddling. But I have never met one American who did not understand the concept of buying locally.

Is Scott in the running for some type of mid-level management job?

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Gregory

ps.... I wonder how the original statistics were compiled? The source of all this stuff seems to be a left wing online magazine called "Remapping Debate." http://www.remappingdebate.org/article/tale-two-systems. All other articles I've read reference this article, and no other. It is very difficult to swallow the notion that the German wages are twice those of US workers. I'd have to see the data, including all forms of compensation, and including all forms of training. In Germany, for instance, is the guy who mows the lawn outside the factory figured into the average autoworker's pay scale? I doubt it. But in the US, he is considered a union autoworker, and his pay is figured into the average.

The same applies to total cars built. It is worth noting that a large portion of German cars are built in foreign countries, including the US. Are those vehicles counted? Is European Ford counted as a US automaker? Does the fact that VW, BMW, and Mercedes sell cars all around the world make a difference? I have yet to see an American dealership in a foreign country, though it has been a long time since I did much traveling.

I can think of a host of other questions, but this being a drum site, I'll let it rest. It is, however, way too easy to go all loose with statistics.

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Gregory

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Cliff

River City Trio

What if we did all have the same opinions?

Finally, a voice of experience (From Deutschland) that puts pin to this Zeppelin. When every news service and blog is quoting a magazine, whose stated agenda is to advance the acceptance and power of labor unions, statistics will be abused in exactly this way. I'm not saying this is irrefutable truth, but one sure ought to look deeper. The average pay of US union labor, when figured this way, is about $75 an hour, by reports that I've read.

The idea that a work force earning 62 donuts an hour, vs. one earning 35 donuts an hour, can be competitive building automobiles for a world market, is suspect on the face of it. But if you are flown to and from Germany on a paid ticket, put up in a hotel and wined and dined for the weekend, and presented with a snare drum as you leave, it is easy to see where you might get the impression that life is better there. Life is always better when you don't have to pay the plumber when the pipes spring a leak.

From the Sonormuseum:

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Gregory