Comments on: Spot the difference

By: Extra Weight at thestandard.org.nz

Extra Weight at thestandard.org.nz — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:06:03 +0000

[...] noticed them previously and thought that I’d corrected them (see comment). But they turned up again. Turns out it was from an interesting flaw in the website, and was being [...]

By: Draco TB

Draco TB — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 23:29:51 +0000

The fact is the market economy and capitalism rule the world

For now. Don’t expect it to forever because, quite frankly, it’s a failed system. Any social system (capitalism is a social system not an economic one) that requires the vast majority to live in poverty and a significant portion to live in abject poverty is a failed system.

By: Outsourcing jobs - whats the issue? « The visible hand in economics

Outsourcing jobs - whats the issue? « The visible hand in economics — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:54:49 +0000

[...] has taken issue with this activity. Particularly, two posts at the Standard lamented the “exploitation” of foreign workers and stated that consumers should stand up to protect domestic [...]

By: lprent

lprent — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:04:15 +0000

Buying now ? At least according to google translation from spanish

By: Lyn

Lyn — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:01:18 +0000

Buy now…of course. Duuuh

By: Lyn

Lyn — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:54:50 +0000

“Compra ahora”?

By: Robinsod

Robinsod — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:31:58 +0000

They’ve been moving toward this for years. Do you think they just logged onto Mexican trade me, found a factory and hit the “compra ahora” button?

By: Stephen

Stephen — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:08:03 +0000

If they had the choice of using cheap offshore labour this month, why didn’t they exploit that choice YEARS ago???

By: Jay

Jay — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:00:17 +0000

“Apple computer as much as they are a manufacturing tech industry are as much a design entity. ”

True true. Why anyone would want to own some ugly-ass piece of crap PC clone is beyond me when they could purchase the glory that is the macbook is beyond me.

As well as 99% of the manufacturing being done overseas the Chinese were complaining that bulk of the profits, about 95% were going back to the Apple.

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:00:47 +0000

Sorry guys welcome to the world of manufacturing in 2009.

The right bemoan the wage gap with Australia, but in all reality F&P can not compete with $10 a day in Mexico, add to that the high and stable dollar and other issues like increased costs in manufacturing general and you have a no win situation.

It is a tragedy for the 430 workers in Dunedin, but apart from that it’s actually a good story. Apple computer as much as they are a manufacturing tech industry are as much a design entity. They are as Californian as the Beach Boys, yet 99.9% of their manufacturing is done overseas (Taiwan and Mainland China mainly), yet they are American and uniquely so. F&P now need to take the manufacturing advantage they will undoubtedly get from operating in Mexico, and use the resources of the engineers and designers in Dunedin to take their business to the next level. F&P now need to become the Apple of the white-ware industry, the best design with the best function, appealing to high end consumers, bringing filthy overseas dollars back into NZ, remember head office isn’t going overseas like other ‘NZ’ businesses.

barnsleybill you are about as far off the money as one could be. This is not a govt issue, if it is then the US and Australia have exactly the same problems and then their govts have to go to. Dunedin will not close, and that jab about escape from Dunedin is well just dumb. We moved here 9 years ago, and since then I have had a dozen friends move from Auckland, Wellington and ChCh all to Dunedin – but that’s another issue.

As for the ANZ issue, again they aren’t being sacked. IF we are to take ANZ at their word, they are actually going to increase services and their workforce, but undoubtedly (as has already been demonstrated) this isn’t a scary enough story for the media and they are playing the ‘asian call centre’ card.

By: Tane

Tane — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 07:58:21 +0000

I hate watching you guys fight…

By: Billy

Billy — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 07:49:23 +0000

You’re dead to me…

By: Robinsod

Robinsod — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 07:43:56 +0000

Sanctimonious? Ha! I think that’s the first time I’ve ever been called that! Perhaps I should make a joke about your mum or something?! Not that I’d ever do that as she is, after all, a lovely woman and I have a lot of respect for her and for how she has managed to bring up such a fine example of, um… what exactly are you again?

By: Billy

Billy — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 07:29:04 +0000

‘sod, why must you relentlessly behave like such a dork? I was not “snidely” or otherwise gloating over anything, just pointing out that Jay was completely on the button when he pointed out that it is dishonest to blithely say F&P earned $61m if you are not going to compare it to the investment made.

I used to have a soft spot for you. But now you are just tiresome. And sanctimonious. And self-important. And, oh, boring.

By: Robinsod

Robinsod — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 07:17:34 +0000

Bill – these jobs are being lost because Mexican workers can do them for $2 an hour and that means FandP can make an extra $50m a year. Please explain how we should compete with those labour costs. Oh that’s right the productive workers at F and P should have tax cuts so that $2 an hour becomes enough to live on, right?