The global economy: a zero-sum game?

What are people in Asia buying? French cosmetics, single-malt Scotch whisky, private education, French handbags, Aussie beef, German headphones, flights to Vienna, vacations to Rome, high-end hi-fi systems, honeymoons in Paris, iPods, a pair of Nikes, an MBA from Harvard or MIT. And those are just the obvious consumer products.

What about the less-obvious, less-glamorous business-to-business products? Windmills, surgical instruments, medical equipment, mass-rapid transport systems, Boeing jets, Rolls-Royce engines, Airbus planes, cranes, elevators, tunneling equipment, tungsten-carbide drills, the list goes on.

The following MP3 from Uncommonknowldge.org contains an interesting discussion on innovation at the national level. The title is: "Is the United States losing its competitive edge?" This was recorded in 2004, but it is still very interesting.






innovation in Asia