Re: outsourcing: (attitudes) Keeping Ahead of China and India

| here we go (again), knowledge industries
| architects, wakeup

Commentary
By Tim McDonald
tmcdonald@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

....

In his book, “The World is Flat,” Thomas Friedman details globalization 
in its many facets. It is a fascinating and relatively quick read and I 
highly recommend it. To boil the book down to its core concepts, 
globalization is the theme and as Friedman points out, it essentially 
went through three phases. The first phase was from roughly the 1492 
until 1800 and was led and dominated by countries. The lead global 
powers of that day were Spain (Latin America) and Great Britain in 
India, Africa, and of course the colonization of America. The second 
phase was the industrial revolution where companies dominated through 
innovation (i.e. Ford, IBM, ATT et al). This phase lasted from the 1800s 
until the late 1980s.

.....

China and most notably India have a heavy focus on their workforce to be 
continual learners and they have become just that. They are hungry for 
advancement and hungrier still for the knowledge that will give them the 
edge for advancement. Friedman makes an analogy on a comment that people 
of my age heard growing up when we did not clean our plates. “Clean your 
plate, there children starving in China.” Today that comment and advice 
to students would be do all your homework, there are kids studying hard 
in China.

I found the statements and interviews in the book a wake up call for 
this country. Just as much of a wake up call as the launching of Sputnik 
in 1957 was a wake up call. This country then launched an aggressive 
program of science education. We now have another wake up call to 
answer. We must instill the thirst for continual knowledge integrated 
with technological skills. Above and beyond these skills is the ability 
to communicate, think creatively and continue to innovate and lead.

cont'd....
http://www.news-tribune.net/cnhi/newstribune/opinion/local_story_011144836.html?keyword=topstory