Sure, I always get some comments that I am giving up on America….but come on, didn’t we see this happening like…..I don’t know, years ago?
I dont want to get political on this blog, mainly because I hate thinking about hearing political debates during holiday parties with the family. We all have different views on how a government should run its “organization of people”.
But its a simple fact…..America as well as its people (yes, I am an American) spend more than they can afford….and have built the mentality that it will bounce back later.
I can’t really say I have witnessed boom times since 1999 – 2000, but unfortunately I was still in university (maybe I should have dropped out and started a .com company???) so for my whole post-college career life I have mainly felt like its been a recession…..sure there was a real estate boom (and then bust), and lately it seems in the internet world there is a “social media bubble”. But really….the “cross the board” boom times in America I cannot say me or my peers have witnessed.
So, I have said I’ll be In China (Asia) for at least 5 to 10 more years, but seriously, after this first EVER downgrade of USA debt, and the endless bickering back and forth by US politicians….why would I want to go back? (Unless if the Chinese get so angry about the continued losses on their US debt holdings and kick out Americans!)
I want to be in an environment of growth and opportunity. Like my grandfather that came to New York from Italy, or my grandmother and her family who came from Russia to Seattle (maybe a future post)……to make a better life for themselves and their family.
Then I get it on the other side, Chinese people who say “are you in China to make money and leave?”. COME ON!. I am not gonna sugar coat it….I’m here like those Chinese who come to America that I know. For opportunity, for business, for growth, for a future. The gain Chinese get from Americans or foreigners entering their country is the experience to have them here, building businesses and hiring and training local Chinese. Its just part of internationalization and business.
I’m getting more and more emails from all kinds of friends back in America…from high school friends to college friends, to people I met on the side of the road in a bus station in Virginia….all asking questions about China business and business life. Either their own business or the company they work for is getting involved in China business somehow, and they are asking questions to me.
That makes me feel….fulfilled. That risk I took years ago coming out to the other side of the world is paying off. Those horrible experiences with government inspecting my office, HR management issues, cultural differences in staff management and daily life.
I do get teary eye-d looking at the daily news in Yahoo! Finance seeing more and more news about the US economy going down…the high unemployment rate….now interest rates on treasuries will creep up….making it more expensive for Americans to live off of debt.
I really do hope its a wakeup call for American politicians….but also American people….I’ll be back to America Sept 21 to Oct 12 and I hope I see signs people are spending less….
I have to say, it made me sick when I was in America, the huge gas-guzzling SUV trucks on the highway with 1 person inside, the huge amount of products people would buy in stores, the friends I saw out of work. And the idea or attitude that they would just wait for things to “bounce back”. Come on, you gotta take charge and lower your spending and increase your income.
But I’m sure I’ll continue to get emails from friends back in America…I’m serious about making an exchange program to China, a “china MBA” like my buddy Dan in Bali, Indonesia with his hugely successful tropical MBA intern program.
Maybe this will be my way to help the US economy…helping American people and businesses learn how to do business in China (who has the money, and the debt of America.)