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Comment by michaelneale | Hacker News Reader

oookkaaaayy... so how does this explains chinas "manufacturing" "talent" ? As in, shameless shifting of the lowest quality goods legally allowable (and no drive for improvement or automation, contrasting with Post WWII Japan).

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You clearly have no idea why US companies make things in China. They excel at it. It is all about quality, customization, and efficiency. Talk of cheap goods from China is an easy way to spot someone who has only read the talking points.

Oh come on, there is so much rubbish. Maybe in the US the better stuff gets there but I see tons of the rubbish.

Maybe this is like japan was seen post WWII - as inferior "clone" makers, but then things change. Maybe, I hope so.

I certainly have no problem with China "doing a Japan" at all, so it not out of fear or anything (which is probably the fuel behind the "talking points" I guess you are talking about). I think it would be great- a big, peaceful successful country producing great products that make life better, what's not to like !

Well its only anecdotal, but my log book of consumer good that fail about 18 months into use from basic fatigue problems and general shoddiness would say otherwise (all made in china). But then again, we don't have a choice now.

There is a huge logical fallacy in saying our good jobs are going to China and the stuff China produces is junk. They produce things we buy, which means it isn't junk. They make it cheaper than we do, which means they are better at it (environmental concerns aside).

Have you seen the growth curves from China recently? Sustained double digit growth for _decades_. It is unprecedented. China isn't "doing a Japan". They are doing so much better than that.

we like junk then ! I am just tired of buying a dvd player a year. Of course it is so cheap it may as well be free with a disc, but still, maybe I am old fashioned and think appliances should last ;)

Designed obsolescence has little to do with manufacturing moving to China.

They started from a pretty low base. By the way the famous Asian Tigers and Ireland had fantastic growth, too. Not to forget war-torne europe and their Wirtschaftswunder.

> and no drive for improvement or automation

How does that explain your iPod?

How did you know I had one? ;) yes, there are examples of really good stuff. That is very encouraging. So its not all bad, I am probably just paying more attention to my bad experiences and ignoring the good (despite statistically being wrong).

> and no drive for improvement or automation

How necessary is automation in a country with a billion people?

yes, it isn't for economic reasons. But perhaps consistency,quality, producing non toxic goods etc...

if their one child policy sticks, it will be a rapidly aging and shrinking population one day.

very

>How necessary is automation in a country with a billion people?

Just as much as in a country with a million people, or a thousand. Imagine, China needs two billion shoes!

Sir, your argument by vivid imagery has succeeded!

Depends entirely on how much those billion people are paid.

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