The USA and the West have now discovered the reality about India and are now not as positive about India becoming the next China, which they can then invest in to take advantage of the cheap labor harping on India's Population Dividend. The Western world trumpeting on this gives India an added reason to keep gloating about its rise as a manufacturing power to take over from China. Fact or fantasy is now clearly exposed.
Had their confidence in investing in India not been deflated, USA companies will have started moving to India en masse. No, they are not going to call such cheap labor in India as 'slave wages' for now, so long as they can continue to benefit from it. 'Slave wages' will only become the ammunition to demonize India when India starts to have huge trade surpluses with the USA, like China. And India will likewise be accused of stealing jobs from USA citizens. This is in their playbook and will not be any different from what China went through.
Just look at what the USA is doing against the top four countries that the USA is trying to erect high tariffs against - China, Japan, EU (with Germany the main target) and Mexico. The USA does not produce much consumer needs domestically and have to import products from these countries, and it is a no brainer that the USA will suffer trade deficits with these countries. Unless the USA can really go back to manufacturing, there is no way those deficits will shrink. Trump is trying to reverse the trend by using tariffs to cut down on USA trade deficits, which is not going to work and will only be punishing USA citizens. The fact that the Hillbillies are ignorant about countries outside the USA gives the Government leeway to steal from them under stealth.
Anonymous
2 comments:
Modi is perceptively quiet now. After Trump did not invite him to his inauguration, Modi is probably reflecting on his past relations with Trump. Adding insult to injury was Trump's invitation to Xi, demonized as a tyrant and dictator by the USA, and yet being invited, while good friend Modi has been ignored. People invite good friends to happy events, not those looked upon as enemies, do they? What is going on?
I guess Modi did not heed the advice of Henry Kissinger that 'being an enemy of the USA is dangerous, being its friend is fatal'. What is Modi to do now? China is unfriendly and USA is a friend that may even prove more fatal than an enemy. But not to worry as India still has its bosom friend, Singapore to fall back on. Singapore has proven to be a friend in need for India, through thick and thin.
But Singaporeans should be worried as more Indians may be coming after what Trump is doing to deport tens of thousands of 'talented' Indians from the USA. Modi may need help from friendly Singapore and Singapore is ever willing to help, even in buying up failing banks. That is what friends are for, isn't it nice!
Tha Man's visit to India is not to try eating from banana leaves, trying India's toilets, bathing in the Ganges or riding on the roof of India's special trains.
Singaporeans have to put two and two together like a jig-saw puzzle to see the big picture. It probably is not anything to rejoice about for Singaporeans. More Indians are probably coming. There is space for another four million if a ten million target is the objective.
Post a Comment