I am not at all afraid of Chinese manufacturing....
America may have had its go at manufacturing in my grandfather’s day, but I think it’s time is up and we have moved into a new era of what America is successful at.
Design, Innovate, Create
Across the board, in every industry, we lead in art and design, which is the basis of great architecture and the stepping stone for elaborate engineering. Think about the innovations of the last ten years...
Did Sony innovate when the PlayStation added a colored ball on the end of their controller? Or did Microsoft by dropping the need for a controller all together and letting you use your body.
Did Toyota innovate by creating another design for Lexus that looks like an early 90's Pontiac? Or did Ford lead the charge by creating a design reminiscent of the 60s and 70s that everyone is so passionate about?
Did Nokia innovate the smartphone by mimicking Palm designs of the late 90s? Or did Apple surge ahead of the global market by inventing the iPhone?
Some might say:
"Yes but every part of those items are manufactured in china, or some other Asian country"
to which I would respond...
"GOOD! As an American, I was too busy designing what those parts should do, to care about putting them together."
What was the last big innovation that came from China?
Chinese Finger cuffs?
What was the last innovative design that came from foreign auto makers?
The auto designs really intrigue me, from Toyota, to BMW, and Mercedes, to Hyundai, they all look exactly the same.... Like a 1998 American Car.
It is the American Way!
Invent, and let the everyone else modify, I am not at all worried about the American Economy, we are the R&D of the world, always have been, always will be. From bombs to microchips, from rockets to bicycles, and from programming languages to networks.
Our parents and grandparents generation should quit complaining, and listen to the people they created, as we no longer need a grasp on manufacturing, it has run its course. The greatest threat to any corporation in the world is no longer which other big corporation can copy what you did and streamline the cost and process (Toyota, Sony).
It is...
What is that 17 year old and his buddies doing in their garage?
(Hint: maybe you should invest in that!)