The future of America?

[Dleg]

In an earlier thread, I suggested that the story of the Northern Mariana Islands might make an excellent test case for the future of the American economy under globalized trade. Now somene has produced a short documentary (25 min) about just that:

http://current.com/users/Adam_Yamaguchi/all/0.htm

As with any documentary, this one misses a few aspects of the story that I would have focused on. And it seems to project a certain anti-WTO sentiment, and does not look at the "problem" form a true economics standpoint, but rather a nationalist / protectionist point of view. But overall, it gets the story of Saipan pretty much right, and paints a lurid picture of our present-day conditions.

So, if for nothing else, viewing the documentary will give you a good idea about the totally unknown little piece of America that I live and work in.

A "review" from our local (pro-garment industry) newspaper:

Saipan's collapse one of fastest in US history-documentary
By Haidee V. Eugenio

Reporter

From being the poster child of the ultimate globalization success story, Saipan now faces one of the fastest economic collapses in the history of the United States and the world, according to a new documentary on Current TV.

Current TV is a cable network founded by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore.

The documentary features the birth and death of the once billion-dollar Saipan garment industry. The two remaining garment factories-from three dozens less than 10 years ago-are set to close soon.

“What's happening on Saipan is an extreme compressed version of what's happening elsewhere in the U.S. and the world; like a lab test of what globalization does for good and ill,” American journalist Adam Yamaguchi said in his documentary.

Yamaguchi, along with fellow journalist Christine Huang, visited Saipan last year “to document the rise and sudden collapse of a tiny piece of America.”

The documentary, which runs for 25 minutes and 7 seconds, can be accessed at http://current.com/users/Adam_Yamaguchi/all/0.htm.

Viewers are shown footages of World War II, Saipan's pristine beaches, the remaining garment factories, empty garment factories and empty buildings like the former La Fiesta Mall in San Roque, as well as interviews with government officials, former garment workers and local residents about their views and experiences about the collapse of the Sapan garment industry.

Richard Pierce, the governor's special assistant for trade relations and economic affairs, said the documentary is a fairly accurate depiction of Saipan, both old and current, and caters to the 20-30-year-old mainlanders by focusing on the “Made in the USA ” label and the loss in American jobs as a result of the local industry.

“They were truthful in their introductions and plan to focus on the loss in this part of America to both global and federal forces outside our control,” he said, adding that Yamaguchi, Huang and young indigenous citizens in the documentary “could easily grasp what others in federal and local government offices have had difficulty understanding.”

“Saipan has lost so much, and will continue to lose more over time as a result of the demise of its once healthy apparel industry. Jobs are leaving in government and the private sector, in addition to the workers from the factories themselves,” said Pierce.

Pierce, a former executive director of the Saipan Garment Manufacturers Association and one of those interviewed in the documentary, added that Yamaguchi posed a very good question in his conclusion: “Why a part of America can't even hang on to a few low paying jobs?”

He, however, said that Yamaguchi overlooked one important point in discussing prostitution in the CNMI. “That is, that the U.S. mainland, Hawaii, Guam and other American soil do not accommodate prostitution in their travel industry zones.”

ON THE NET

http://current.com/users/Adam_Yamaguchi/all/0.htm

 

[DVINNY]

I get the massage parlors, but what's up with the karaoke parlors?

 

[DVINNY]

I'm 15 minutes into it, very interesting so far

 

[Dleg]

karaoke parlors are fronts for prostitution, usually. At the very minimum, they are "buy me drinkie" bars, where you buy the girl a $15 "drink" (a shot glass full of iced tea), in exchange for her to sit next to you and attempt a conversation in engrish, while she (usually) molests you and tries to get you buy the full deal.

Not that I would know anything about any of that...

 

[DVINNY]

oh, I got ya.

Five dolla, any ting you whant?

That type of thing? Just more than 5 bucks. That place looks beautiful on there, its a shame about all those factories and malls shuting down and rotting like that. As a person that has managed/bid out the demolition of 151 structures so far, I can tell you that I'd have a field day over there. We'd need to permit a new landfill just for that.

 

[Dleg]

No one enforces demolition of abandoned buildings here. They just sit and rot. It's really terrible.

Plus, every one of the garment factories do not meet building code - the comanies brought in their own chinese contractors, chinese materials, and even wired them according to chinese electrical standards. As you might guess, there were a lot of bribes paid and heads turned over all of that. I came in to the regulatory business about half-way into the garment factory build-up, and was one of the few to stand up and try to do anything. Which apparenlty limited my career pretty severely.

 

[Dleg]

Wow- things must not be all that bad here- a couple of prostitutes tried to pick me up in a Prius tonight, while I was walking from a bar to my car.

 

[cement]

did they ask about your stormwater modeling skiilz?

 

[Slugger926]

How well does Algae grow there?

I just watched a presentation on microalgae on Friday at the Oklahoma section of ASABE (www.asabe.org), and found out that agae can grow some proteins that are worth $38,000 per gram because the protein can cure at least 5 cancers. Another protein can freeze alzeihmers, and it goes for $27,000 per gram. I wonder how well these girls can be used to extract proteins from algae?

Some of those pools around the abandoned mall looked like a gold mine of algae.

We are going to be rich. Anyone who wants to see the slideshow of that presentation can PM me their email.

Other than that, Saipan reminds me of rural Oklahoma after the Oil Bust in the 1980's.

 

[Slugger926]

Per my business classes, the only way to sustain development is through continued innovation rather than being a one hit wonder. If the companies had brought in engineers with their businesses, they could have developed a new technology for the labor force to produce value with when the clothing business melted away.

 

[Dleg]

I wonder how well these girls can be used to extract proteins ...

No, I won't go there. I can't do this to my own thread....

:lmao:

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Sure you can!

 

[Slugger926]

No, I won't go there. I can't do this to my own thread....




:lmao:

I guess you are saying they are very qualified at protien extraction, but will need to be trained in protein extraction of algae, and seperation of the protein types?

How do you propose deciding who the best qualified would be?

:multiplespotting:

 

[Guest]

No, I won't go there. I can't do this to my own thread....




:lmao:

Oh, puhleeze !!!

Sure you can!

That's the spirit!!

How do you propose deciding who the best qualified would be?
:multiplespotting:

I am thinking an exercise in linear programming ... what says ye?

JR