So we should then let American oligarchs drive American workers to the same but slower? because that is what has happened so far
Comment on Why Americans Can’t Buy the World’s Best Electric Car
wosat@lemmy.world 1 week ago
I don’t disagree with the criticisms of American cars – overpriced, uninspired, unreliable, over-engineered, etc. – but to everyone saying “we should just compete”, do you realize the realities that Chinese workers experience? Have you heard of 996? It’s shorthand for a common work schedule in China: 9am to 9pm, 6 days a week. Benefits that are common in the U.S., even in non-union shops, like retirement plans, PTO, worker’s comp, and overtime pay are rare. So, yeah, things can be made much cheaper if you are willing to feed your workforce into the grinder.
Jhex@lemmy.world 1 week ago
psycho_driver@lemmy.world 1 week ago
That is certainly their wet dream, now that they can’t easily just move their manufacturing to China and reap all of the benefits like they could 70s - 90s.
Horsey@lemmy.world 6 days ago
I will strongly disagree with “over engineered”. Why a car company with all their money and bailouts that they can’t compete with Apple/Android on touchscreen features and responsiveness is the whole reason why Chinese cars will kill American car companies.
wosat@lemmy.world 6 days ago
Okay, I’ll concede that point to you. U.S. carmakers suck at software. And, even on the hardware, they’re resistant to change and slow to innovate.
Horsey@lemmy.world 6 days ago
Software is the answer to many of the mechanical issues too though. Granted, the physical engineering is definitely over engineered, but would they really need to have 6 different taillight frames when LEDs can be multicolor and just tuned with software for each market? I also see zero reason why manufacturers can’t start from a base and tweak for different market configurations; you see car companies complain about complex regulation, but in the say and age when east Asia can make you anything, that’s not an excuse I’m willing to be fed.
InternetCitizen2@lemmy.world 6 days ago
but to everyone saying “we should just compete”, do you realize the realities that Chinese workers experience? Have you heard of 996?
I get what you are saying, but sometimes I think we should in a way, or at least we should get republicans exposed to it, so they can live their hogwash ideas of free markets.
TrojanRoomCoffeePot@lemmy.world 6 days ago
It won’t be them living the reality though, it will be their subordinates and employees. The same ones already being crushed to death by production metrics, stagnation of wages and inflation. The people involved in these decision making processes are too well shielded from the actual consequences, beyond maybe driving past and seeing the ruins of what used to be towns/cities/neighbourhoods destroyed by the free market and social policies.
pup_atlas@pawb.social 1 week ago
I’m not sure I see a connection between the working conditions, and the quality of the car. I don’t think anyone is advocating for adopting those bad conditions, but they also seem unrelated to the quality of design, and parts that go into it. That purely seems like a question of paying for good high-quality parts, and not skimping out on the design phase.
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 6 days ago
Exactly, which is why I’m left scratching my head why the US wants to bring manufacturing back to the US. We’re much better of growing the well-paying jobs where our education systems can compete favorably vs bringing back jobs that compete with low-paying jobs…
Jhex@lemmy.world 6 days ago
where our education systems can compete favorably
LOL are you sure about that?
worldatlas.com/…/the-highest-literacy-rates-in-th…
China ranks higher than the USA in literacy rates
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 6 days ago
Sure, but the US has a lot of well-educated people (e.g. see the Education Index), as well as a lot of opportunities for well-educated people to get in-demand jobs that pay well.
Literacy rates are interesting, but they don’t translate to well-paying jobs like education attainment rates.
Jhex@lemmy.world 6 days ago
Sure, but the US has a lot of well-educated people (e.g. see the Education Index), as well as a lot of opportunities for well-educated people to get in-demand jobs that pay well.
There are more Indian Engineers in the USA than American ones… and Trump is destroying all of it
The way things are going for you, nobody with a half a choice would decide to migrate to the USA for work
Bloomcole@lemmy.world 6 days ago
LOL losers
Hardeehar@lemmy.world 6 days ago
Hold on, in advanced education here in my area of the states, almost half the population of students in classes I see are of Chinese or Indian backgrounds and most are here on foreign visas.
If the education is so shit, why are there so many foreign students studying here and paying insane amounts of money to do so.
Bloomcole@lemmy.world 6 days ago
‘Chinese or Indian backgrounds’ so not Chinese.
China leads in 95% of STEM and they’re only getting better and widening the gap.
The US has a handful of good Ivy league institutions (invariably using foreign professors and braindrain), the general level is mediocre at best.cyberwolfie@lemmy.ml 6 days ago
I’d think enrollment rates would be a severe lagging indicator of education quality. Institutions could likely coast on reputation for quite some time after education quality tanks. Inertia is powerful, and some could even knowingly decide to go to poor educational institutions just for the status it still gives among peers and in their community.
That said, I have no first hand experience with US higher education, and wouldn’t know what the quality really is, just saying that enrollment rates probably aren’t a great indicator of it.
cows_are_underrated@feddit.org 1 week ago
Well yes, but actually no. BYD has quite of an advantage (also because China subsidies it), but american (and also European) companies have no incentive to actually design good quality products if BYD gets left out. At the same time CEO will try (and currently do it) to force us into working more and more for less money with less benefits while swimming in billions of dollars.
TheReturnOfPEB@reddthat.com 1 week ago
So then why do so many US companies have the CSR in places overseas ?
andros_rex@lemmy.world 6 days ago
Have you heard of 996? It’s shorthand for a common work schedule in China: 9am to 9pm, 6 days a week
So a typical American teacher’s schedule?
jarmitage@mander.xyz 1 week ago
And that’s exactly what is coming to the US, since they think workers rights and unions are the problem.
Bloomcole@lemmy.world 6 days ago
LOL what workers rights do you clowns in the US have?
TrojanRoomCoffeePot@lemmy.world 6 days ago
Not an American, but it’s worth saying that despite their labour market’s galling shortfalls, they don’t have a culture of 12 hour days for 6 days per week. Many work much less, and those who do pull those kinds of hours are typically tradesmen/women who make pretty good bank. Those types of jobs are being systematically eliminated by corporations, but I digress.
InternetCitizen2@lemmy.world 6 days ago
PSA @Bloomcole@lemmy.world is a troll.
Bloomcole@lemmy.world 6 days ago
"12 hour days for 6 days per week. "
So you believe this baseless garbage statement that Chinese generally have these work hours? Right.
If you compare it to nonsense then the US is less bad, but those are not the facts.
retirement age 63 years old for men, 58 years for women, US: 67/66
paid holidays, not even a right, they maybe get 6, China:13
US: no paid sick days, China: they get 100% to 60%
The US is a joke.