Written by Tony Perla
Investors may be enthralled, as indicated in a recent article discussed at Global Economic Intersection, LinkedIn emphasized. But may I suggest that the question is moot? That is, Google vs. Apple is not all that relevant in a general economic context.
After all, with unemployment at 7.9%, should we really care about a company called Apple that makes some fantastic products … but in China (or South America)? This is not meant as proposition to boycott Apple products. Its engineers around this planet have innovated some very interesting gadgets. And Apple deserves kudos for its excellent financial results, so don’t get me wrong.
But from an economic perspective, it is difficult to rationalize if either Google or Apple bring any real enhancement of productivity or diminishing of unemployment to the economy of our country. May I add also that America’s fascination with the newest and the boldest is perhaps over-played? (Or, heaven forbid, is that heresy?)
Let’s get back to basics, shall we? Google is a 1000 pound canary and its heft in technology is mighty … for as long as it “does no evil“. But far more employment is probably being generated by Amazon as it (and other retailers like it) innovate retail distribution. And changing our economy from one hooked on the carbon-molecule to renewable energies probably would stimulate jobs as well – so shouldn’t we be looking a those technologies.
Frankly, I would like very much to know what technology can do for something far more important than Apple, Google or even Facebook turnover – and by that I mean education. We must increase our throughput ability from secondary to tertiary education thus enhancing our workforce with the right skills and competencies for this Brave New World of globalization. We must stay at 7.9% unemployment much longer.
And if we are not careful, the Chinese, who graduate about 10,000 engineers per year are going to … uhhh, eat our technological lunch. They are doing so already in the international construction industry where both their architects and experienced workers are building major projects – at mind boggling speed and costs.
JFK was right to point our country towards the moon. Which spun off a great many technologies that are the backbone of present employment. I would even attribute the Internet to its parent Arpanet that was intended to interconnect incompatible university computers employed on government projects. Arpanet developed the basic telecoms protocols that ultimately evolved into today’s Internet.
So, where is our next GMTP (Going-to-the-Moon Type Project) that will spark new avenues of technological development and bring with it hopefully a resurgence in American employment? May I suggest that answering this question is far more important than any pertaining to either Google or Apple?
Methinks, that is …
About the Author
Tony Perla is an American national who is fully conversant in European business. He assists American companies seeking to implant/expand in Europe. He knows French, Italian and English. To know more about him, follow his LinkedIn account.
