Why am I here is a toughie. I will get to it. Let me state this first, I am more concerned at overvaluation of financial assets to the point that even those content with sitting on cash feel that their cash will be worth less as every one else gets rich off the market. I am concerned at the relentless pressure for higher earnings which barring tech companies, I frankly cannot see happenning in a supposedly low inflation era. Banks are still stiffing the same 110 million working stiffs,TV and toothpaste still have more or less the same audience to sell to. Consolidation is supposed to generate cross marketing opportunities, Well I just got junk mail from CUC intl which I guess got my mailing list from Century 21 because now they are Cendant or whatever . I guess I am afraid of getting taken for a ride.
Some more egs. Companies modernize their IT infrastructure with Bandwidth and SAP and GUI and client server, swapping what used to be 30/hr cobol guys with 75 to 100 hr C, java whatever.In many cases it is the same people going round in musical chairs, how do I know that this is not pure and simple inflation vs. high tech, higher value which is worth the extra money?
Do I disdain consumption? More like I hate waste, and sometimes it is hard to tell the difference. However, I will be the first to admit that you cannot dream up new pathways on an empty stomach, so I do look to the 'West' to aggressively pursue alternate energy sources, market simple living whatever. At this point in time I doubt any new major technology can be sold to the world without first selling it to CA then USA etc.
Now do I feel guilty livin' in the land of over consumption etc...
hardly, first instead of admitting that you are cheap, you can reinvent yourself as an environmentalist <g>, you can thus feel morally superior aren't Indians born that way? and see you bank balance grow...
Let's face it Indians that come here are cop outs, opting for the easy life, you rode up one wave that led you to your IIT or what ever(publicly funded by an impoverished populace!) and now your try riding another wave. Till somebody writes a book on how this is really smart arbitraging of international currency mispricing or something substantially polysyllabic, I guess I will wallow in guilt <g> .
regards
Ramesh. |
