[thelist] RE: Does web design have a future in 'high wage'countries? (wasQuestion])

[Marcus Andersson]

YoYoEtc wrote:
> What I would like to know is how do these foreigners get these skills in 
> the first place.  They are poor countries with many non-schooled people. 
> Don't tell me - H1B visas to work in this country, get their tuition 
> paid here, and go back to their own country and drain us dry!
> 

Comments like these just oozes with prejudice and they make me a little angry.

Have you ever thought about how many people it actually lives in India and China? India is a poor country, 
yes, but that doesn't mean that all of the population lives in the 15th century. They do have schools and they 
actually do have computers there as well. They just don't have as much per capita as we do. Think about that 
the population of those two countries might be close to two billions (which is more than Europe + US times two 
(it might actually be as much as times 4)) and that the drive to fight yourself out of poverty is pretty 
strong with alot of these people. The (simple?) way out of poverty is knowledge. And for the first time in 
(modern) history (I would believe) there is a wealth of knowledge available to these people as well. We (the 
west) "gave" it to them. But I think it's more than fair that they can come and play at our playground.

We, the west (maybe not you and me, but the interests in our countries, the BigCos), have struggled hard to 
dominate the rest of the world to give us (the share holders anyway) wealth on their expense but they are so 
many more than us so that cannot possibly keep on forever. Are we going to crawl back into our shells again to 
protect "what is ours"? Or are we going to compete fair with these new competitors that probably is just as 
competent as you and me?

I would go with the latter and try to find myself a way to compete with these guys and still keep my "high 
wages". I don't know what way that is but it probably has something to do with extremely hard work (as most of 
"them" are putting into it) and specializing. The easiest way to fight competition is to avoid it and find 
your own niche. That is also simple economics for startup companies that want to get into the market/into a 
new market. Why shouldn't the same apply to us? That way we have our destiny in our own hands instead of 
pointing finger and crying/whining to Mr. Bush (or whatever you're leader might be called) that "the poor, 
evil people is coming to get my job, do something!!".

/Marcus

ps. I'm pretty sure you could point me to cases as you described above but my _opinion_ is that those are 
probably border cases.

pps. This might have gone way OT but I promise to make it up with a tip.