Soapbox!
I told myself I wouldn't do this, that this wouldn't become some "activist" blog. But since I just finished going off on Alex about this (of which most of this will be cut and pasted from those IMs) I might as well share with everyone!
I was reading an article on C-Net, which you can find here.
I can understand trying to be competitive in foreign markets, and China is a big one. But it seems like every major IT company is playing patsy to the communist party and has no problem rolling over for The Party. Did everyone suddenly forget that the reason our corporations are as powerful as they is because we have the freedoms we do?
I was reading Scoble's response, (A Microsoft blogger and employee) and he makes a good point: "See, it’s real easy as Americans to rattle the door and ask for change, but we don’t live there. Saying “give them the finger” isn’t that easy when there are real human lives at stake. And I don’t need to spell out what I’m talking about here, do I?"
But I think there's a line to be drawn. The reason the U.S. is disliked is because we have an image problem: We're seen as a nation of ruthless capitalists who run rampant over whatever laws or ethics in order for us to turn the largest profit, be it money or power or otherwise.
Now I'm not entirely against this. Nations are self-serving, and rightfully so. I'm a capitalist, and I believe in competition. But hypocrasy, especailly when it involves our own lofty ideas which we tout so loudly is, and is going to continue to backfire in our face...
When I started at SRA upper management talked to us about the importance of ethical decision making, and how they were shocked when talking to another company who said that "we sometimes make ethical decisions even if it's a bad business decision".
Our guy (our current CEO) replied that making good ethical decisions are good business decisions. You may not turn the immeditate profit, but the legacy of those morals stays, and people remember it. MS will turn a profit in China, but it will be a bitter one, and will come back to bite them (and others) when they start up new ventures...
And this doesn't apply only to IT companies, as I'm sure you are aware....
posted by Chris @ 11:21 AM
2 comments
2 Comments:
I'm glad you posted that up, since it's an actual and interesting matter and your comments on it were good.
What I hope is that, in the end, humanity will win, but as usual, I can't help being a little pessimistic about it.. People today seem alot more anxious about getting profits out of new ventures as fast as they can no matter the price of it. And I don't like that.
Interesting topic that we talked a bit about. Though I would be careful in how you talk about the world's image of the US, as I see it, I don't think the world really cares much about the US being a nation of ruthless capitalists, as long as they keep it at home. I think the problem is more that the US seems unstoppable in bringing and implementing their ideas, philosophy, ethics whatever you want to call it on the rest of the world, not everyone agrees with that.
Furthermore, maybe the US is not full of ruthless capitalists as it may sometimes appear to those on the outside, but there again your one example from SRA doesn't cut the mustard. We are from a booming area of the US and pretty much anyone who is motivated and a bit adventurous can find a job, but thats not the case everywhere in the US. Yeah people get great benefits in companies like SRA, yet I'm sure if take a more general look at the entire US, you would see that many companies do exploit their employees, no matter how motivated and good that employee might be. You have a great job and are in the running for getting an even better one, not everyone is in the same boat and they end up paying for it. I really don't think you can use the DC metropolitan area as an example for the rest of the US!!
Another point I disagree with or rather that I would like to clarify, who are we to say exactly what is right or wrong? I don't see anything wrong with communism in its pure political form, but how it is actually upheld in China is another issue. As with any political system it is those who abuse it who destroy it ultimately. (I have the feeling I'm not being very clear, just want to get all my ideas down). I have no idea exactly what was said in that blog, and I disagree with censorship, but something should be said for the idea of respecting another country's, culture, and customs, that the US really seems to forget, sometimes. There is a delicate balance to globalization and it seems to revolve around an ever pending question, where does your freedom stop and mine begin- whether that be an individual or an entire nation.
In a nutshell- I really don't think that the US's bad image is because they are a nation of ruthless capitalists (which could be left for another debate), but rather the world is tired of the US trying to teach them a lesson, especailly when their means of doing it aren't always ethical in themselves.
Though to open another topic... do you really think the people running the country have the people's best interest in mind? Sometimes I have serious doubts. On another note, I have the feeling even in the US nation of capitalism, that companies don't always have the consumers' best interest in mind!
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