Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mindmetoo]

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=657003

Short story: the inventor of the blackberry has endowed Waterloo big time. They're going on a buying spree. It would be darn cool if they landed Hawkings.

[mises]

I saw that yesterday and immediately remembered this book:

http://www.amazon.ca/Why-Mexicans-Dont-Drink-Molson/dp/1553652258

From the book description:

[khyber]

Uhm,

You know, Canada isn't really doing all that badly. Some would argue Canadians are actually among the richest people on earth.

[mises]

With a mere 30 million people and one of the largest resource bounties on earth, they sure should be. But that wasn't the point.

We dig up the country and throw it across the border to the Americans, who give us IOU's in return. We use the IOU to buy stuff from China. This works if you are in Alberta, and somewhat in BC/TO, but for the rest of the country (esp out East, and less in ag communities in the West), all that is left is retail. And retail is the largest job category in Canada.

The point is, RIM is a model for a more high tech, high value added and globally leading company. And because of it, good things are happening.


Anyways, that is the most widely read and important Canadian business book of the last decade. Not a single MBA student will graduate without reading it. In fact, I did MBA classes in Asia and had to read it.

[mindmetoo]

A few random thoughts:

Resources can be a curse as much as a bounty. Aside from Norway, anyone know any stable oil rich nations? Check wiki for a thing called the Dutch Disease.

Korea, HK, Singapore, and Japan didn't become rich via resources.

Canada is typically middle of the pact in terms of R&D spending:

http://www.innovationstrategy.gc.ca/gol/innovation/site.nsf/en/in02432.html

Canadians are typically risk adverse. We've certainly woken up from our 70s era attitude that the government knows best and the government will provide but I think we still have some catching up to do.

It's been said Canada is a branch plant.

This isn't to say there are no innovations in Canada.

Making stuff isn't the only real job out there, however. 100 years ago people would have thought agriculture is the only real job. Now agriculture only employs about 4% of the population.

Not everyone who works or worked in manufacturing was/is paid a $50 an hour union job. Those jobs have always been a smaller percentage of jobs.

[mises]

Here is an interview with the author of that book, somewhat relating to MM2:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourinterview/2007/05/author_andrea_mandelcampbell_w.html

[ernie]

he's moving to canada for the weed, idioth!