Ni Hao.

We may have been so distracted by all of the electronica in our lives to notice how much of our existence has become dependent upon the Chinese. A trip to any major retailer or big box store can be quite an eye opener when one counts up the products made in China against the products actually made in the United States. Be forewarned: if you thought 'Assembled in the USA from non-domestic parts' was a slick sidestep, wait until you come across the "Packaging Made in the USA" pure obfuscation.

Why are we so heavily committed to Chinese production of all our products? Was is because no one wanted to learn to operate an injection molding machine? Was it because no one would work in a steel mill? I don't think so as there are still molders and steel mills in business here and people earn decent wages in each one.

When it comes down to where the rubber meets the road, the modern investor is not interested in creating a social contract with employees, communities or industry segments. There is no increased standing available to them for taking on the responsibility of being an industrialist anymore. The sense of entitlement among modern investors justifies their sneering at the very people who do the day to day work of the organization and what better way to sneer at people than employing those who live halfway around the world.

A few generations ago, the public came to vilify the likes of Carnegie and Rockefeller for having amassed such fortunes in their respective industries. Strange, however, that these 'robber barons' would spend time in their factories and refineries, always interested in how the plants were running and offering up advice for how to improve the process. I have a difficult time imagining Stephen Schwarzman sauntering into a factory in Hebei province around two in the morning and saying, 'Ni hao?'

I can't cure this problem, so I will just lower my head and stare at my hand waiting for the BlackBerry to ring. The Chinese-made BlackBerry, maybe?