Re: Software manpower exports and the power of governments

At 13:23 16/08/96 -0700, James A. Donald wrote:
> > It is overwhelmingly clear that the question is simply who has the 
> > power?  Those who wish to hire peoples services in order to produce
> > wealth, or those who can command peoples services because they have
> > guns?

At 06:17 PM 8/17/96 +0600, Arun Mehta wrote:
> Are you suggesting that Indian programmers come to work with like
> a chain gang, with armed government guard? 

No.  I am suggesting that the more that power over business 
activities and decisions lies with those who do not need to 
make a profit or serve the customers needs, the less of value 
will be produced.


> Look, governments in the 3rd world are often stupid and corrupt
> -- no doubt that contributes to poverty, but that isn't the only
> reason. I'm sure one of the reasons is cultural: 

Was the culture of the refugees who fled to Hong Kong any different
from those who failed to escape from Communist China?

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
              				|  
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and our property, because of the kind	|  
of animals that we are. True law	|   James A. Donald
derives from this right, not from the	|  
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On Sat, 17 Aug 1996, James A. Donald wrote:

> At 13:23 16/08/96 -0700, James A. Donald wrote:
> 
> At 06:17 PM 8/17/96 +0600, Arun Mehta wrote:
> > Look, governments in the 3rd world are often stupid and corrupt
> > -- no doubt that contributes to poverty, but that isn't the only
> > reason. I'm sure one of the reasons is cultural: 
> 
> Was the culture of the refugees who fled to Hong Kong any different
> from those who failed to escape from Communist China?

The individual can change far faster than the community, which is why
immigrants to the US, for instance, do so much better than back home. It
has, in the case of economic matters, to do with attitudes of government,
the chambers of commerce and all the institutions that influence economic
policy -- which can take long to change.

Arun

On Sun, 18 Aug 1996, Arun Mehta wrote:
> On Sat, 17 Aug 1996, James A. Donald wrote:
> > At 13:23 16/08/96 -0700, James A. Donald wrote:
> > At 06:17 PM 8/17/96 +0600, Arun Mehta wrote:
> > > Look, governments in the 3rd world are often stupid and corrupt
> > > -- no doubt that contributes to poverty, but that isn't the only
> > > reason. I'm sure one of the reasons is cultural: 
> > Was the culture of the refugees who fled to Hong Kong any different
> > from those who failed to escape from Communist China?
> The individual can change far faster than the community, which is why
> immigrants to the US, for instance, do so much better than back home. It

     Of course the individual immigrant doing better in America _could_ have
something to do with the high degree of "class mobility" (note quotes).

> has, in the case of economic matters, to do with attitudes of government,
> the chambers of commerce and all the institutions that influence economic
> policy -- which can take long to change.

     Which falls back on the community "culture" in America. 

Petro, Christopher C.
petro@suba.com <prefered for any non-list stuff>
snow@smoke.suba.com