http:\/\/www.economist.com\/node\/21556584<\/p>\n
This story about the city of Mumbai in India (formerly known as Bombay) live in an average of 48 square feet of living space (6’x8′). \u00a0Unlike America, where half of the adult population is living by themselves in their own place, that typical household in Mumbai is probably husband and wife and 5 children. \u00a0The flat doesn’t need wasted space for a bathroom with the trench running down the street.<\/p>\n
An Indian computer programmer working for American minimum wage lives like a king in India. \u00a0American business keeps getting lured into outsourcing programming to India only to realize that the credentials of some of the workers were completely phony, and more effort is going into making up excuses why work isn’t getting done, rather than getting the work done. \u00a0 Add in the huge time zone difference and the cultural differences (“Boss, I need six weeks off to go home because my religion requires me to be purified in the Ganges River. \u00a0I know your project schedule requires me to be here, but American law says you can’t fire me because of my religion. \u00a0See you in two months (unless something unexpected comes up)”<\/p>\n
People in the niche specialty I used to work in are competing in a global market. \u00a0How do you compete with people willing to sleep eight people in a room? \u00a0You know what you’re doing and get the job done.<\/p>\n
There are good programmers from India who do know what they are doing and are as good as Americans. \u00a0They quickly learn that in America you aren’t someone’s servant and can leave and work for someone else for more money – and then those “outsourcing savings” suddenly vanish.<\/p>\n
The root issue for us is that our schools and universities are focus on self-esteem and diversity, and the football team – not learning. \u00a0The typical American spends 8 hours a day watching TV and movies. \u00a0Hunger is a great motivator to get people to put down the remote and stop playing World of Warcraft. \u00a0 We aren’t there yet, but our time is coming. \u00a0The bills for 99 weeks of unemployment checks and trillion dollar stimulus programs are coming due. \u00a0You don’t get rich by borrowing money from a loan shark.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
http:\/\/www.economist.com\/node\/21556584 This story about the city of Mumbai in India (formerly known as Bombay) live in an average of 48 square feet of living space (6’x8′). \u00a0Unlike America, where half of the adult population is living by themselves in their … Continue reading