Not just proxy either. Look at the disputes over several groups of islands and the rampant expansion of Chinese influence.
Ernest, This isn't really an American issue, it just happens to be an American who is delivering this difficult message. We now have, for better or worse, a global economy. If one is not competitive then one's job goes away. That is tough but true and whinging will not make it better. The only solution is to improve productivity and focus an industries that the East cannot compete in. Tire making isn't rocket science, I'm not sure what value add a European facility has over an Far Eastern one so if the Goodyear factory in France cannot compete with an equivalent factory in the East it has had it.
I agree, the problem is that time is without end. Can they afford to wait for infinity?
There are enough trans-national soverign investments in the rest of the world to cripple the Asian economies should the need arise. Watch the surrounding Chinese/Japanese/ south sea islands anc currencies for proxy fireworks.
No point in being shocked Brian those of us with a bit of milage under our belts know that this facility is for the high jump unless they get their act together. It is just a matter of time.
It is only since I became an AE here Celeste that I have come to realise the complexity of trying to do business in France. I have a small PLC in Ireland that has less administrative overhead. In fact, the regulatory environment in Ireland for start-ups is excellent. I do believe the complexity in France is due to a whole bunch of very intelligent fonctionnaires with nothing else to do but dream up new regulations. Is it 47% of those employed that work for the State? That burden is not sustainable and is at the core of the economic woes here.
I'm sorry to disagree on the Irish tax rate Celeste but the fact is our tax facilitates ripping off the rest of Europe. Due to the lazy attitude of the IDA it has become a serious vehicle for transfer pricing which was a very easy sell to greedy MNCs. We allow MNCs which have no long term value to Ireland to channel profits from their European sales through Ireland and that deprives France, Germany the UK etc. of tax. The Dutch are also guilty of this. Other countries (including France) have beneficial tax rates for companies, even down to 0%, but it far more targeted that our own regime. We need to reform our regime before we are forced to.
Look at Japan, the author of this Spiegel article is mistaken if he believes that the Asian countries will gladly welcome U.S. with open arms when it comes to penetrate their very own markets. China and many other Asian countries are investing inside their own countries so their assets aren't gambled away. If Washington could run out of patience, then because of its self-inflicted problems (paranoid security, wars etc) and not because of the "Smarties" in Brussels which are continuing to bury their heads in the sand hoping that the Eurozone crisis will go away by allowing the ECB to build a huge bad bank while at the same time hiding behind semantics of protectionist nature. The "markets" will very soon test the ECB again.
And, Merkel has first to win elections this year. It will be quite tough for her to convince her voters at home that the most indebted country on earth (over 16 trillion defict) will be a mutual, and most of all sustainable ally for any trade alliances planed in the future. There are far too many things like copyright, patent rights, intellectual property etc at stake. Also, the dollar is no subject to the gold standard and you can not go on print money to cover up the debts to let taxpayers of other countries pay for it by claiming the US$ is the lead currency. That's coming to an end. In March Obama is facing the next fiscal challenge, before that nothing is moving anyway.
Just like British Leyland in the 70s Ben but I don't think we can judge all sectors by the sins of the over protected motor industry. I see my local small businesses working very hard but being swamped with bureaucracy and official rubbish. The overstaffed French Public Sector have it too soft and just create work for the wealth generating Private Sector. That is also true in pretty well every other EU country (including Germany) and most of all in Brussels and Strasberg. Strip out that overhead, reduce taxes and then maybe Europe will grow again.
Celeste, it is not your fault when someone is in his denial of realities and comment in an even more flat way as the journalist who uses this rather misleading title. After all, not all US manager share the dull view of this tire manager. Internet is sometimes merciless embarrassing and it is no secret that mainstream media suffer really the problem they have with quality in serious and informative balanced reporting. It is a downward spiral.
When not read entirely sometimes its just the title of a blog entry that is polarizing enough to cause such flat defamatory comments. Best is just to ignore such comments. As if the cause of anti-social business practices in a global economy still has national origins. Looking at how global enterprises are operating it is easy to recognize that they're acting simply very specific on those business decisions in order to circumvent tax liabilities. Look at all this "too big too fail untouchables": they only become a "national" issue when the come crying for help so they don't go bust.
Post by Mr Burnhope last August when he diddn’t seem to like the French and was being asked to load his photo even then!
“Recently treated like merde at the local prefecture and would like to lodge a formal complaint against staff.
Has anyone any tips to help me write out the letter. Advice so far is to send it via registered post.
Everyone seems to have tales woe when meeting bureaucy but none who seem to follow it through seeming to accept the insults and woeful treatment.”
Troll with hobnail boots this time, not welcome on any forum.
is this an example of an "internet troll " ?
have heard and read about people who join forums / twitters etc just to anonymously upset other people !
oh by the way the correct spelling is Asians.
Steve
Good one Brian
I fully support you and Clare. I am not American, and I admit to having some American relatives, but we on this forum may like to remember that none of us would be living here in France, some of us if at all, had it not been for the intervention of America. No country is perfect but I say thank you America. Plenty of French have forgotten too. Montebourg knows as much about business and investment as Ronald MacDonald knows about fine dining.
I agree with Clare on the manners. Attacking the imbalance between aggressive capitalism by whoever and stick-in-the-mud attitudes that do not work in the modern economic world is more to the point anyway. The real point is that it needs a government with the political will and courage to break the back of the stalemate with unions who are entrenched in a euphemised past. The vast army of functionaries does not help because it gives the unions a model on which to base their vision of how work should be, hence jobs for life with no real responsibility in the hands of people supposedly doing work. I am amused when people describe that as socialism, which it is not because it has no common objectives for the entire population and is by no means redistributive. It is simply sanctioned chaos that allows vast numbers of 'other' people to be unemployed and unmentionable numbers of people in small businesses, farming and so on without work or income who are not included because the system simply does not include them. If the imbalance was ended, thus numbers of functionaries allowed to reduce and the absurdity of jobs for life ended so that these people had to bear responsibility for their actions (or inactions) then no 'foreign' investor could possibly create such a debate and what is potentially a very progressive country could get moving. However, Hollande ain't the guy... Nobody in opposition appears to be either and if anybody is under the delusion Ms Le Pen might have a solution, in fact her one would reinforce what is already established, so nothing on offer there (or on the opposite extreme). So, whatever views of particular nationalities of entrepreneurs might be, they are but part of a bigger picture and to make what are effectively 'racist' remarks is far more rude than constructive.
Having read the article that was posted in the global ny times, it seems that France still haven't grasped the rules for competition. Mr Montebourg, may think he can talk about stopping cheaper imports, but these will come in through free trade in Europe. Some of the French companies are already realising this. As an example. I bought 4 x four wheel drive tires from an online french company the other day, but to my surprise they were shipped in directly from the Netherlands. Why? Because they were 60 euros cheaper a tire from there than in France. France WILL lose if they do not act now. And, yes they were a good brand name as well, not even a cheap nasty import.
Thank you Clare - you took the words out of my mouth. I am leaving the comment in place so that other members can see what you referring to but any further similar comments will result in a suspension.
Ernest - you wouldn't turn up to a dinner party (please see the Nettiquette post if you are still unclear as to what I am alluding to) with your face masked (black box and lack of a profile photo despite repeated requests) and be so rude to fellow 'guests' - so please don't do it online.
Can we keep the tone down. I am sure some people may agree with you but please don't be abusive and respect the Americans who are also members of this forum. This is no place for aggressive racist tone tone.
what is patently clear to anybody from the outside looking in at this factory/ french unions / industrial issues/ failing economy / crazy national debt / high taxes / demotivated workers / high unemployment..........
is that major changes are needed to drag this ailing ,sickly country into modernity.
that would therfore exclude the majority of the French Govt / the establishment / the army of functionaires and the average man or woman in the street who are so browbeaten they see a long lunch break as some kind of daily revolution against the rest of the world.
Steve