Economic Crisis

[JPL]

Hi all,

Regarding all the bad news about economy disaster, company layoff, company closure, unemployment rate increase in many countries, and despite the fact that market shares seem to goes up, I'd like to open this thread and discuss about the economic situation, and what are our personal point of view about all of this. The idea is not only to discuss about video game companies, but also about your personal situation, and maybe some other business area.

As some of you may know, my company (Wipro) is shuting down its activity in France, particularly our R&D center in Sophia Antipolis (please refer to Wipro-NewLogic closes its site in France ! for further details about our situation), so that's why I have some interest in such thread.

If any of you is experimenting such situation (others are welcome as well ), I'd like to discuss about your opinion about the economic situation, whether you have in mind to change of area, whether you have in mind to change of business area, whether you have already a back up solution, whether your job is secured, whether your company is in a good shape or not, etc.. etc...

I know it is not a funny thread, but today I think it is a good idea to share point of views about worldwide employment situation.

So please take anti-depressing medics, and share your opinion

[spooker]

the recession caught me at the most vulnerable point in my career. i had just gotten a new job and the crunch came right before i finished the 3 month probationary period. so they laid me off. it was an opportunity. in the face of vigorous opposition from my loved ones, i pursued a dream of living in india. after 6 months, i realized why it wouldn't work, and came back. doing this only cost me a couple thousand dollars, and i got work experience as a teacher when i was there.
back in USA, i went back to the company i was working at previously (before the one that laid me off), worked for them for a few months for free, then they finally got some cash to rehire me. so that's where i am now. i picked a bad time to advance, so i leaned on good relations i had built at previous employers and managed to stick it out in the industry, after getting a bit of adventure

i think the problems will be more severe and last longer in france than USA. france is resistant to market forces, so it responds slowly to external stimuli. in usa, reactions are more quick--both the crash and the recovery are more closely calibrated to the wild fluctuations of the market

[Baker]

The USA will be in a long and protracted recession due to NAFTA.

The way for the USA to get out of the recession is to produce domestically; yet this is exactly what cannot happen because building in Mexico is always more economically feasible.

[spooker]

ah baker, always focused on manufacturing
i would never want a job in manufacturing. truth is there are many other places that can manufacture more efficiently than the united states--i.e. with all our resources, there's other, better things we could be doing. i don't think that cutting off the outside world is going to change this

[Fuzznut]

No I think we're screwed. We need to get rid of the Federal Reserve. Private banks dumping all their bad loans on us.

[gnounc]

I believe a basic strategy to keeping the USA viable, is to allow our citizens
more free time, and more expendable income by lowering the barrier to the basic necessities.

I think the easiest way to do this, is to socialize, but only a basic level of comfort, I
believe in free market and capitalism, but we are not in a free market,
business practices are not fair, the bigger the company the dirtier they get, and certain
companies just frankly, arent doing anyone a favor and should be undercut and run as zero profit companies.

energy transportation and education are the 3 places that cost way too much
at the present, and as far as education...you reallllly dont get what you pay for these days.

We need to:

-start living within our means. (& pass laws against deficit spending in the govornment)
-make strides to lower the cost of living
-start hacking away at the federal deficit (bet if that were closer to 0 our country wouldnt crash so hard every few recessions)

Modernize our infrastructure:
-Cross country bullet trains (take some planes outta the sky)
-create a smart electricity grid
-put solar cells in the windows of all govornment buildings and skyscrapers
-place mini wind turbines atop many buildings

Govornment subsidize new technologies:
-take excess crop yeilds normally destroyed to create artificial price bottoms and
convert it to biodiesel, distribute this freely
-create nationwide places to convert your current car to biodeisel.(or similar)

phone and cable companies are raping our assholes over phone lines and airwaves.
thats inane, their basic infrastructures have been paid off for years, their services are lukewarm at best, and their prices are insane, there are probably a million ways that could be corrected.

and as far as education? jesus who knows...somethings gotta be done though

[R00k]

I believe a basic strategy to keeping the USA viable, is to allow our citizens
more free time, and more expendable income by lowering the barrier to the basic necessities.

Plato had the same idea, when he wrote the Republic. Let government provide the house, the schools, the necessities, and allow the citizen more time to do what they are passionate about.

Americans just wanna drink beer, watch tv, and have sex. Not much for the GNP there...

I agree though what gnounc says, yet furthermore how about a tax relief for citizens who recycle, have a wind turbine in their back yards, ride a bike to work, grow their own vegetables etc...

[spooker]

Plato had the same idea, when he wrote the Republic. Let government provide the house, the schools, the necessities, and allow the citizen more time to do what they are passionate about.

i wrote a thesis on the republic and i'd have to disagree with this. in the republic, socrates (speaking as one of plato's characters) proposes a brutal takeover by the state of all aspects of life that are normally considered private--including even state-governed allocation of the right to have sex with whom and when. IIRC, until 30 the guardians had to live communal lifestyles

[tical]

LEGALIZE IT AND TAX WEED....We'll be good..

[Frenzy]

LEGALIZE IT AND TAX WEED....We'll be good..

True story.

[Baker]

Americans just wanna drink beer, watch tv, and have sex. Not much for the GNP there...

Kapow!

Nice posts, Rook + gnounc!

The recession is because Americans want to spend, spend, spend and we just aren't making things or exporting and the bubble burst. In 2 years, the federal government will be out of credit and then things will get really challenging in the USA.

But we will adapt, but it won't be easy at first ...

[foq]

Nah, you mean a small handfull of people (corporate tycoons) just wanna drink beer, watch tv and have sex. It's all the corporate big-wig's fault for outsourcing to maximize profit, thus reducing jobs in the U.S., thus starting a slow but sure process of pulling the rug out from underneath the public's feet.

[Mindf!3ldzX]

ah baker, always focused on manufacturing
i would never want a job in manufacturing. truth is there are many other places that can manufacture more efficiently than the united states--i.e. with all our resources, there's other, better things we could be doing. i don't think that cutting off the outside world is going to change this

manufacturing makes or breaks an economy, there is no side stepping this fact. Making goods and having someone want,or need those goods is how money is made obv? RIGHT. Thats why when I look under my mouse,I see MADE IN CHINA.I look under my keyboard,what do I see? MADE IN THAILAND.I could probably look at non-electronics and after 30minutes to 3hours I might find a "MADE IN USA" product,but unlikely.

and Spooker if by "more efficiently" you mean cheaper labor, yah you nailed that shit on the head GOOD JOB.

I worked at TRW (Atkins,VA) several years ago making Rack and Pinion steering gears.The big-wig corporate hancho's at TRW decided that it would be better to have the gears built in Reynosa,Mexico which got me to thinking...I was making between 250-300 a week, I wonder what they are making a week? HMMMM :::: opens google,does some research :::::

Poverty wages at the plant of $60 to $65 for a 48-hour week do not cover basic living expenses.

Source - online petition about NAFTA,and specifically, TRW Automotive in Reynosa,Mexico.

LOL??????????????????????????????????????????????? ?LOL???LOL????
65 dollars for a 48hour work week?

Spooker, your a delusional douche bag who looks to utilize snide remarks for Baker every chance you get. If the silver spoon crammed up your ass is so uncomfortable then by all means,remove it. Baker would appreciate it,as would others including myself.

Give me 1 month of calling the shots and I could turn this country around 2EZ.
Seriously, some of these people running this country dont know their asshole from a hole in the ground.

wizzzzzzzar

[Mindf!3ldzX]

Nah, you mean a small handfull of people (corporate tycoons) just wanna drink beer, watch tv and have sex. It's all the corporate big-wig's fault for outsourcing to maximize profit, thus reducing jobs in the U.S., thus starting a slow but sure process of pulling the rug out from underneath the public's feet.

and to think,you have more common sense than Mr.Thesis (Spooker).

[rudl]

The recession is because Americans want to spend, spend, spend and we just aren't making things or exporting and the bubble burst. In 2 years, the federal government will be out of credit and then things will get really challenging in the USA.

No it's actually the other way round, the system works when everyone spends more and more. When nobody spends money -> there is nothing to do.

The problem is that there are some people that play with/steal your money.