New York Manhole Covers, Forged Barefoot in India

Manhole covers. Bulky, analog, grimy, un-sexy, lightly-skilled. In other words, just like 80% of the work and abilities of any nation's population curve. This is why I think Thomas Friedman is as full of shit as the guys who came up with Pets.com and S&L Deregulation.

New York Times

The scene was as spectacular as it was anachronistic: flames, sweat and liquid iron mixing in the smoke like something from the Middle Ages. That’s what attracted the interest of a photographer who often works for The New York Times — images that practically radiate heat and illustrate where New York’s manhole covers are born.

When officials at Con Edison — which buys a quarter of its manhole covers, roughly 2,750 a year, from India — were shown the pictures by the photographer, they said they were surprised.

“We were disturbed by the photos,” said Michael S. Clendenin, director of media relations with Con Edison. “We take worker safety very seriously,” he said.

Now, the utility said, it is rewriting international contracts to include safety requirements. Contracts will now require overseas manufacturers to “take appropriate actions to provide a safe and healthy workplace,” and to follow local and federal guidelines in India, Mr. Clendenin said.

West versus East elitism? First world-view idealism against Second- and Third-World desire to feed the kids? Maybe so. But something's worth saying plainly that gets downplayed by Wall Street and other neo-liberal free-trade fans: Just as water seeks its own level, Indian foundry workers and other semi-skilled professions will enjoy a slow increase in wages and opportunities over the next 40 or so years as they approach some kind of parity with the West. We, on the other hand, will have to see a more precipitous drop in living standards in order to contribute to that journey to equilibrium point. When we get there, here will feel more like India than India will seem more like us. Looks something like this graphic, via BusinessWorld India.



Hype? Will it look as bad as that? Well, what's your definition of "bad"? If it's only 20% as bad as the graph it's still net awful for Americans with with relatively stagnant wages (measured against inflation) since the late 70s.

So, question is, as we expand the wading pool to Olympic size and the water level drops from chest to ankle (the oft-avoided bullet point in free-trade pitches) what do we do as more and more of our unavoidably bell curved population becomes over-priced labor and appears by comparison, at least to certain balance sheet cowboys, as safety-obsessed whiners? For those still resisting the parallel Moonshot & Tsunami opportunities of our time, Energy and Climate, the urge to attach Darwinist blame, to resist, and to pretend to the strong vitality of their ideas and models will be overwhelming.

That's the difference between markets and humans; between maturing industries and maturing parents. Both may resort to cosmetic surgery, comb-overs and Viagra. Many will find diversion in the feel-good pretend Harlequin business-romance of Tom Friedman. But, for the most part, the parental versions of Mature who fight against time and gravity have an interest in seeing their successors succeed--and exceed--them. And if they don't, maybe an equivalent graph...