David,
Let me be the "first" to say, "You remember well for an old guy." Remember
the first saying in business is 'Profit". If you can't make money doing it,
do something else.
Larry Zink
Z Group Racing and Performance
1964 Spitfire4
Houston, Texas
-----Original Message-----
From: Dave Terrick <dterrick@pangea.ca>
To: triumphs@autox.team.net <triumphs@autox.team.net>
Date: Monday, August 10, 1998 10:09 AM
Subject: "Firsts" and technology
>
>Listers,
>
>at the risk of belabouring an already extended thread on
>who/what/where/when/etc, may I point out a large and glaring paradygm
>taken from university business:
>
>ALL things have cycles. Generally the cycle of business and economic
>superiority has moved in dyansties from East to West. Before the British
>empire, there was the Asian dynasties. Based on sheer numbers, China was
>able to build things like the Great Wall, etc. to protect its' domain.
>Prior to the Industrial REvolution, protection of wealth was almost more
>important than creation.
>
>The British were the originators of the Industrial REvolution and it was
>this mechanization which afforded the industrial power base. Many examples
>have been given on this list already, but perhaps Mr. James Watt and his
>steam engine are of the earliest example. No more need for un-trained
>Marmot slave labour to turn the treadles for the machines!
>
>By the early 20th centruy, people like Henry Ford took things one step
>further and developped the modern industrial society. The theory of
>Scientific Management (Frederick Taylor) actually came as a result of
>studies of Ford's ideas, among others.
>
>Skip past the great wars, enter the Japanese.
>
>The Japs, as we know, at that time had no industrial base left and were not
>much more than an island nation with a strong army - left over from the
>need to protect against the much larger China. The American essentailly
>implanted western practises. Not waiting around to be further dominated
>they decided to improve on ideas just as Ford revolutionalized auto
>production from studying the British. Now we can claim the Japs have no
>new ideas- or didn't for the longest time, they just made things better and
>cheaper. ... enough for us to buy in. The British motorcycle industry
>died as a direct result of this process.
>
>Now, that is a bit of a story from "International Business, 118.325, U of
>M, 1989" as I remember the lectures. At that thime the predction was that
>another circle of the globe would occur, back to China and then Europe.
>Computers, and the modern busiess world have allowed a new dimension, that
>is, North South in nature. South America, Mexico, India, etc. have HUGE
>populations working at very low wages and living standards. Our companies
>are farming work out via satelite links to offices there, and via "sweat
>shops". Has anything changed in 300 years?!? Not really, just the speed
>and the technologies.
>
>In summary, something I always say tongue in cheek is:
>
>"The Brits invent it, the Germans make it work properly, and the Japanese
>make it affordable".
>
>There endeth the lesson in international economics and marketing. Hope it
>is of some interest when reflecting on the "firsts" expressed so far.
>
>Dave
>
>
>Dave Terrick
>69 GT6+
>Winnipeg
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