Sal-ittihad

[Frogfish]

Can someone explain to me how a multinational corporation in a less developed country is not neo-colonialism?

It's a genuine question. Obviously there are outliers, but most of these companies in one way or another exist in locales to exploit their resources or their cheaper labor, and using managerial expertise from richer countries. They facilitate this management by attempting to build accomodations and infrastructure that more resembles their standards, and the lionshare of the most lucrative payroll is foreign. The money generated isn't largely reinvested in these states.

I mean, you could argue that they do likewise wherever they are, but every colonial empire colonized their own first.

Symbiotic relationship TBH (assuming the local Govt is on the ball).

Whilst the MNC gets to reduce costs, gets substantial tax breaks and massively increases R&D which may be cost prohibitive at home (and which often benefits people globally - the medical industry for example) the local people have employment, and health benefits, in great conditions & much higher pay than they'd get working for a local company (usually - as the MNC has to adhere to their home country regulations re. working conditions and tax, unless they outsourced but many don't as they want to keep it in-house and retain control) and the destination country gets their hands on the latest tech and ideas which benefits their local industry as well as a huge new source of tax income.

Being realistic there has to be an upside for the MNC to move halfway across the world so one can hardly blame them if it increases the depth of R&D and construction & sales to the local market.

I went on a tour of the GM factory in Shanghai - globally it's their most advanced factory and due to the R&D aspect many of GMs new products were designed in Shanghai even if only available in the USA for example.

 

[tombrown]

I always assumed ex-pat meant - I’m gone, baby gone!!!!… “on a jet plane… don’t know if I’ll be back again…”.

We used to do this thing at the Quiet Man in Melbourne, where we’d go all John Denver when the “roll-ins” were fucking off back home after their year or so.

As an ex-pat in Ireland this has triggered me. The Quiet Man is basically a Hollywood pisstake of the Irish, and yet all the Irish love it and think it is John Wayne's finest work.

 

[tombrown]

What part, mate? My sister lives in Meelick for the past 25+ years or so. 'Tis an interesting place.

Corofin. The real Corofin, not the fake one in Galway.

Almost as far away from Meelick as you can get without leaving the county

 

[Farkmaster]

Symbiotic relationship TBH (assuming the local Govt is on the ball).

Whilst the MNC gets to reduce costs, gets substantial tax breaks and massively increases R&D which may be cost prohibitive at home (and which often benefits people globally - the medical industry for example) the local people have employment, and health benefits, in great conditions & much higher pay than they'd get working for a local company (usually - as the MNC has to adhere to their home country regulations re. working conditions and tax, unless they outsourced but many don't as they want to keep it in-house and retain control) and the destination country gets their hands on the latest tech and ideas which benefits their local industry as well as a huge new source of tax income.

Being realistic there has to be an upside for the MNC to move halfway across the world so one can hardly blame them if it increases the depth of R&D and construction & sales to the local market.

I went on a tour of the GM factory in Shanghai - globally it's their most advanced factory and due to the R&D aspect many of GMs new products were designed in Shanghai even if only available in the USA for example.

That explains the potential benefits for mncs to their host countries in the developing world. I'd say it's a pretty sympathetic view, especially assuming that the governments in question are on the ball, but I'm not asking to make a value judgement, because that's been discussed to death, I'm asking to describe the nature of the relationship.

What I mean is that simply arguing for their benefits doesn't make them not colonial. Indeed, the same argument could be made (and were, very vociferously) for colonial interests, and both phenomena often occured in the same places, often without cessation, often with similar countries involved, based on historical relationships.

Obviously arguments to benefits were more tenable in some places than others. Some colonial enterprises were downright exploitative and violent, the same is true of the worst mncs, and the reverse is also true.

 

[dogboy]

As an ex-pat in Ireland this has triggered me. The Quiet Man is basically a Hollywood pisstake of the Irish, and yet all the Irish love it and think it is John Wayne's finest work.

Er, except we 'all ' don't.

 

[localny]

I live in Newport, Rhode Island.

RI is an interesting spot.

 

[Whaddapie]

As an ex-pat in Ireland this has triggered me. The Quiet Man is basically a Hollywood pisstake of the Irish, and yet all the Irish love it and think it is John Wayne's finest work.

I don't. Watched about 20 minutes and fecked off... Utter garbage.

 

[Farkmaster]

RI is an interesting spot.

I love it. It's one of the only places in the USA that feels small. It's also one of those places where a huge percentage of the locals shit on it constantly, but if someone who hasn't spent time here shits on it, all of a sudden they're proud.

 

[King Binny]

 

[Farkmaster]

We will be selling him and theres no excuses if we aren't ready.

 

[Woland]

We just need to rub a little bit of wasabi into wee Ben Doak's taint and watch the little fucker go off like a ten bob rocket.

 

[Dreambeliever]

Mine was a joke. Hint: the capital P was intentional!

I figured but it’s not like me to not be sure.

 

[Dreambeliever]

As an ex-pat in Ireland this has triggered me. The Quiet Man is basically a Hollywood pisstake of the Irish, and yet all the Irish love it and think it is John Wayne's finest work.

It’s not the worst Irish piss take pub by a long shot over here. I’ve very little time for any of them. The fifth Provence is decent (Galway owned of course)

 

[Dreambeliever]

Corofin. The real Corofin, not the fake one in Galway.

Almost as far away from Meelick as you can get without leaving the county

Is the GAA team any good?

 

[tombrown]

Er, except we 'all ' don't.

You're right. In this case I intended "all" to mean "all my in laws and a shit load of others too".

Apologies for the generalisation - I hate cunts like me

 

[tombrown]

It’s not the worst Irish piss take pub by a long shot over here. I’ve very little time for any of them. The fifth Provence is decent (Galway owned of course)

I wasnt talking about the pub. I assumed the references to Hollywood & John Wayne might have made that clear.

 

[Shay_K]

Ex-Pats are mostly Irish emigrants that are ashamed of where they're from.

.....messers Rice & Grealish??

 

[tombrown]

Is the GAA team any good?

No, but we host the WORLD stone throwing championship every year, which is more than those Galway inbreds, who happen to be OK at football, can boast.

PS the stones are thrown at wine bottles, not at Henderson's collection of retired rainbow armbands

 

[bluebell]

If you had rank Salah in the all times great list where does he stand when you compare him with illustrious strikers of the past? Where does he stand when compared to all the Legends that have worn the red jersey?

 

[darkstarexodus]

I love it. It's one of the only places in the USA that feels small. It's also one of those places where a huge percentage of the locals shit on it constantly, but if someone who hasn't spent time here shits on it, all of a sudden they're proud.

Omg you just described my home town of Winnipeg perfectly

 

[StevieM]

Any plans to become an Aussie Amigo?. In the states, at least you have quite a few less rights as a resident alien, than as a citizen. I had a friend who was an immigration lawyer and she had tons of clients being deported for small offenses. But Australia is another country.

Yeah - just never got round to it.

Yeah - you can be deported for all sorts and there’ll be all sorts of things I don’t have access to… probably.

 

[StevieM]

I always associated the term with English people. Have never heard an Irish person (until Steve today) call themselves one. In fact I’d go as far to say most Irish people abroad continue say they are Irish and from Ireland no matter the time abroad.

Well there’s a whole new fucking can of worms you’ve opened.

I tell people I’m Irish simply to avoid a long draw out conversation about whether I’m Irish, Northern Irish or British (technically I’m all 3), otherwise people just assume I like Garlic Football, Aerial Hockey, leprechauns, dull songs about how great home is and how I long to be be back there and substandard Tayto… when in fact I much prefer bonfires, bowler hats, uplifting songs about fighting and not surrendering, proper Tayto, calling people “Billy” and struggling to pronounce words with “r” or “o” in them in a way people can understand.

My passport says British and I generally list my country of birth as UK.

If I can and I believe it’s theoretically possible - I’d go for triple citizenship - British, Irish & Aussie.

 

[Dreambeliever]

I wasnt talking about the pub. I assumed the references to Hollywood & John Wayne might have made that clear.

Ha I’m sick as a dog and had a heart attack scare this week so completely missed that. I was more a fan of Shane.

 

[Dreambeliever]

No, but we host the WORLD stone throwing championship every year, which is more than those Galway inbreds, who happen to be OK at football, can boast.

PS the stones are thrown at wine bottles, not at Henderson's collection of retired rainbow armbands

Who doesn’t love a good stone throw!!

 

[Dreambeliever]

If you had rank Salah in the all times great list where does he stand when you compare him with illustrious strikers of the past? Where does he stand when compared to all the Legends that have worn the red jersey?

Top 10 for me.

 

[Dreambeliever]

Well there’s a whole new fucking can of worms you’ve opened.

I tell people I’m Irish simply to avoid a long draw out conversation about whether I’m Irish, Northern Irish or British (technically I’m all 3), otherwise people just assume I like Garlic Football, Aerial Hockey, leprechauns, dull songs about how great home is and how I long to be be back there and substandard Tayto… when in fact I much prefer bonfires, bowler hats, uplifting songs about fighting and not surrendering, proper Tayto, calling people “Billy” and struggling to pronounce words with “r” or “o” in them in a way people can understand.

My passport says British and I generally list my country of birth as UK.

If I can and I believe it’s theoretically possible - I’d go for triple citizenship - British, Irish & Aussie.

Ya I usually have to say I’m Irish and depending on your understanding I’m front the south or the West. I love bonfires, however the kind you have on a farm at night not the ones that burn the republic flag.
Surely just a matter of time before we have a united Ireland again. I struggle with TH more than anything and Film apparently.

 

[StevieM]

Ya I usually have to say I’m Irish and depending on your understanding I’m front the south or the West. I love bonfires, however the kind you have on a farm at night not the ones that burn the republic flag.
Surely just a matter of time before we have a united Ireland again. I struggle with TH more than anything and Film apparently.

I have to pronounce the word “ice” as “oice” or no-body understands what I’m saying.

However… Aussies can’t pronounce the word maroon… so we’re square I guess.

 

[Dreambeliever]

I have to pronounce the word “ice” as “oice” or no-body understands what I’m saying.

However… Aussies can’t pronounce the word maroon… so we’re square I guess.

Thats the pits when you are from Galway.

Don’t get me started on the surname Moran and Mulcahy or even Donnellan!!

 

[tombrown]

Noone ever ever misspelt my surname until I came to Ireland, now it's a regular occurrence

 

[My_Blood_Bleeds_Red]

Fair nuff. I'm working for an MNC for the first time in my life and I can't handle the bullshit. I don't want to get used to the layers of bureaucracy. It's weird cos I always thought it would be comforting, to have a big corp making sure my bills were paid, and I suppose it was for a few months.

It is bulshit. I'm so sick and tired of it, i'm thinking of quitting and going freelance or starting my own consultancy. Or go live on a mountain up in Nepal or something.

But then i realize that's what i've known for the last 20 years, and have never not worked for an MNC.

Will i make it on my own ? Have i got enough saved up for the rainy day(s) ? What if there's another pandemic or the rumoured great depression hits ? What if a zombie apocalypse breaks out when bitcoin halves next year ?

The more i think of it, the more daunting it gets. But i know i'll never forgive myself if i die one day knowing i've not given it a shot living the life that i was called for, and living others' dreams instead.