American Factory

[odanny]

Wow, I've never seen anything like this, and you probably haven't either. As someone who retired from a "factory job", I can relate to much of this film, perhaps more so than those who never worked in one, but it still blows me away the contrast in not only style, but in work ethic, amongst Americans and Chinese. What is going on in China is something pathological, their devotion to work and being away from their families so they can make their employer money. Now contrast that with how an American feels, and I'm talking the lowest rung of the middle class, once fairly affluent (for Dayton, Ohio) GM employees now working for a Chinese glass factory in that shuttered plant. For a Chinese owner, and half of the workers are Chinese.

It's a huge gulf to cross. Shocked at how little time the Chinese workers can spend with their family, when away from work, which is not often.

American Factory (2019) ⭐ 7.4 | Documentary

1h 50m | TV-14

www.imdb.com

 

[Confederate Soldier]

I work in a plant right now that produces plastic. I wouldn't say there is a huge difference between the Americans and Chinese who work there, but it depends on the person. Most of the Chinese women there are slow, unhelpful, rude and troublemaking. There are a few men and women however, that'll work their asses off 24/7. We respect them for what they do, and they for us.

 

[progressive hunter]

Wow, I've never seen anything like this, and you probably haven't either. As someone who retired from a "factory job", I can relate to much of this film, perhaps more so than those who never worked in one, but it still blows me away the contrast in not only style, but in work ethic, amongst Americans and Chinese. What is going on in China is something pathological, their devotion to work and being away from their families so they can make their employer money. Now contrast that with how an American feels, and I'm talking the lowest rung of the middle class, once fairly affluent (for Dayton, Ohio) GM employees now working for a Chinese glass factory in that shuttered plant. For a Chinese owner, and half of the workers are Chinese.

It's a huge gulf to cross. Shocked at how little time the Chinese workers can spend with their family, when away from work, which is not often.

American Factory (2019) ⭐ 7.4 | Documentary

1h 50m | TV-14

www.imdb.com

keep in mind that most of those people in china are forced to work in those factories and if they show any signs of not being happy are punished,,

isnt there one factory where they had to put up nets to stop people from jumping to their death due to work conditions??

 

[odanny]

keep in mind that most of those people in china are forced to work in those factories and if they show any signs of not being happy are punished,,

isnt there one factory where they had to put up nets to stop people from jumping to their death due to work conditions??

Apple.

 

[odanny]

I work in a plant right now that produces plastic. I wouldn't say there is a huge difference between the Americans and Chinese who work there, but it depends on the person. Most of the Chinese women there are slow, unhelpful, rude and troublemaking. There are a few men and women however, that'll work their asses off 24/7. We respect them for what they do, and they for us.

The Chinese from China think and work entirely different, their mindset could not be more different. And that goes for the Chinese working in Dayton, same deal.

 

[frigidweirdo]

Wow, I've never seen anything like this, and you probably haven't either. As someone who retired from a "factory job", I can relate to much of this film, perhaps more so than those who never worked in one, but it still blows me away the contrast in not only style, but in work ethic, amongst Americans and Chinese. What is going on in China is something pathological, their devotion to work and being away from their families so they can make their employer money. Now contrast that with how an American feels, and I'm talking the lowest rung of the middle class, once fairly affluent (for Dayton, Ohio) GM employees now working for a Chinese glass factory in that shuttered plant. For a Chinese owner, and half of the workers are Chinese.

It's a huge gulf to cross. Shocked at how little time the Chinese workers can spend with their family, when away from work, which is not often.

American Factory (2019) ⭐ 7.4 | Documentary

1h 50m | TV-14

www.imdb.com

And yet things are changing in China. People don't want to work 996, they want to spend their money and go on trips, and do things.
China was poor, the people had a goal to enrich themselves, a lot of people see that they have enough money now, and their boss is a dick anyway, who won't be able to manage them properly, so they might be at work 10 hours a day, but six of those will be watching Douyin.

 

[Confederate Soldier]

The Chinese from China think and work entirely different, their mindset could not be more different. And that goes for the Chinese working in Dayton, same deal.

The hardworking ones were born in China. I guess hard work was "instilled" in them more or less.

 

[odanny]

The hardworking ones were born in China. I guess hard work was "instilled" in them more or less.

It is, it is indoctrinated into them. The mindset is nearly universal. You can't outwork these folks, not a chance. You can only hope to outthink them. And they are no friend of the United States, but they need not be an enemy. Economically, we are partners, and I would not say we are the ones ultimately benefiting from the relationship.

 

[progressive hunter]

The hardworking ones were born in China. I guess hard work was "instilled" in them more or less.

or beaten into them..

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

What is going on in China is something pathological, their devotion to work and being away from their families so they can make their employer money.

Bear in mind that their employer is the Chinese Communist Party. There is no true private economy in China.

 

[Grumblenuts]

Bear in mind that their employer is the Chinese Communist Party. There is no true private economy in China.

Why talk shit?

The economy consists of public sector enterprise, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and mixed-ownership enterprises, as well as a large domestic private sector and openness to foreign businesses in a system.

McRib's use of "pathological" is spot on. It's not physically beaten into them. As we know all too well, beating prisoners can't make them willingly cooperative. It takes sustained psychological abuse (constant verbal threats, lack of sleep, withholding food and water, etc.) to make people passively compliant ("broken"), then sustained therapy to undue all of the damage.

 

[Flopper]

keep in mind that most of those people in china are forced to work in those factories and if they show any signs of not being happy are punished,,

isnt there one factory where they had to put up nets to stop people from jumping to their death due to work conditions??

Not so today if you are Chinese citizen.
You are free to choose your occupation.
You are free resign your job
Job opening are published as they are in other countries
You interview for jobs and the employer selects employee as in the US.
You can travel freely in China except for Hong Kong
For the most part you can live where you want provided you can afford it. There are certain areas that are marked as over crowd where new residents are not welcome.
The rules are much different for foreigners.

Nearly 45% of the businesses are private, and the owners and management makes the rules for business. While most businesses are state own, they operate a lot like private owned businesses in regard to employment, however certain businesses require contractional commitments.. Most state operated businesses are closely connected to government, healthcare, education, social services, public transportation, national defense, public utilities, energy, limited manufacturing, media and communications, and asset investment management.

Only 2% of Chinese citizens are members of the the communist

The biggest difference in China and most of the rest of the world is that the people have no control of national government and very limited control of local goverment. Everyone over age 18 is allowed to vote. There are many elections and turnout is relatively high. Nearly all elections are indirect; that is you vote for people who elect delegates to serve in legislatures and hold public office. Most of those elected are members of the communist party. Non-party members generally are not allowed to vote in legislatures. They can submit proposals but they can't vote on them.

 

[Flopper]

Wow, I've never seen anything like this, and you probably haven't either. As someone who retired from a "factory job", I can relate to much of this film, perhaps more so than those who never worked in one, but it still blows me away the contrast in not only style, but in work ethic, amongst Americans and Chinese. What is going on in China is something pathological, their devotion to work and being away from their families so they can make their employer money. Now contrast that with how an American feels, and I'm talking the lowest rung of the middle class, once fairly affluent (for Dayton, Ohio) GM employees now working for a Chinese glass factory in that shuttered plant. For a Chinese owner, and half of the workers are Chinese.

It's a huge gulf to cross. Shocked at how little time the Chinese workers can spend with their family, when away from work, which is not often.

American Factory (2019) ⭐ 7.4 | Documentary

1h 50m | TV-14

www.imdb.com

Other Asian countries such as Japan and some extent South Korea require very strong commitments by employees. It is just like in this documentary. There are daily pep alleys, songs song daily, and constant pressure to perform regardless of you level in the company. Employees are strongly encouraged to socialize with other workers. In some of the largest manufacturing plants such as Foxconn, the company makes available low cost housing, restaurants, entertainment, and sports. And just like in this documentary employees are expected to work pretty much work whenever they are needed.

Only about 25% of jobs are in manufacturing but only half of those are in large manufacturing plants with over 100 workers. In China about 27% of jobs are still in agriculture. The hatred expressed in the movie by the business chairmen toward the unions is far more intense than in the US. Unions in private owned business don't have as much protection as they do in the US. Yet China boasts the largest union in world. In the millions of small business, it quite different.

 

[Flopper]

Bear in mind that their employer is the Chinese Communist Party. There is no true private economy in China.

There is some truth in your statement. On the 45% of privately owned companies, the largest companies have major stockholders that are national, regional, and local goverment owned asset management companies. Although reform legislation bars these asset management companies from actively managing the companies they invested in, their ownership would certainly be able to pressure management. However, since the real purpose of these asset management companies is to turn a profit which often falls into the hands of party officials there would be a hands off incentive.

 

[Anomalism]

You can only hope to outthink them.

I guess you're fucked.

 

[progressive hunter]

Not so today if you are Chinese citizen.
You are free to choose your occupation.
You are free resign your job
Job opening are published as they are in other countries
You interview for jobs and the employer selects employee as in the US.
You can travel freely in China except for Hong Kong
For the most part you can live where you want provided you can afford it. There are certain areas that are marked as over crowd where new residents are not welcome.
The rules are much different for foreigners.

Nearly 45% of the businesses are private, and the owners and management makes the rules for business. While most businesses are state own, they operate a lot like private owned businesses in regard to employment, however certain businesses require contractional commitments.. Most state operated businesses are closely connected to government, healthcare, education, social services, public transportation, national defense, public utilities, energy, limited manufacturing, media and communications, and asset investment management.

Only 2% of Chinese citizens are members of the the communist

The biggest difference in China and most of the rest of the world is that the people have no control of national government and very limited control of local goverment. Everyone over age 18 is allowed to vote. There are many elections and turnout is relatively high. Nearly all elections are indirect; that is you vote for people who elect delegates to serve in legislatures and hold public office. Most of those elected are members of the communist party. Non-party members generally are not allowed to vote in legislatures. They can submit proposals but they can't vote on them.

if only that were true,,

 

[odanny]

I thought it was pretty shitty of Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) slipping in his union comments,. that was not planned and I don't support dropping a stink bomb on the new owner, let the formation of a union develop organically, without political pressure.

 

[Flopper]

if only that were true,,

I was in China in about 1990, when private enterprise was relatively new in China. Government was still trying to control almost everything and failing rather badly. I returned in 2017 and the change was remarkable. Freedom of Chinese workers was pretty close to that in the US. The communist philosophy was the same but policies had changed. The profit motive was now seen as an undesirable but a necessary side effect that is tolerated in order to have higher productivity.

Children in China were still taught from early childhood that serving society is honorable and desirable and that working as a team was more desirable than working as an individual. When they became adults and began to work in factories or the fields, serving society was translated to serving the business which produces the goods and services for society. As we saw in the documentary that did not go over well with Americans in the factory. The primary purpose of the Chinese was service to the company where the purpose of the Americans was getting a paycheck. The Chinese would put up with questionable safety conditions and work whenever they were needed, the American workers responded with cries for a union.

 

[progressive hunter]

I was in China in about 1990, when private enterprise was relatively new in China. Government was still trying to control almost everything and failing badly. I returned in 2017 and the change was remarkable. Freedom of Chinese workers was pretty close to that in the US. The communist philosophy was the same but policies had changed. The profit motive was now seen as a undesirable but necessary side effect that is tolerated in order to have higher productivity.

Children in China are still taught from early childhood that serving society is honorable and desirable and that working as team was no desirable that working as individual. When they become adults and began to work in factories or the fields, serving society was translated to serving the business which producing goods and services for society. As we saw in the documentary that did no go over well with Americans in the factory. The primary purpose of the Chinese was service to the company where the purpose of the Americans was getting a paycheck. The Chinese would put up questionable safety conditions and work whenever they were needed, the American workers responded with cries for a union.

thats nice,,

but how do you explain if only 2% are CCP members how does the CCP still have control of the country??

 

[odanny]

I was in China in about 1990, when private enterprise was relatively new in China. Government was still trying to control almost everything and failing rather badly. I returned in 2017 and the change was remarkable.

In 2004, The United States doubled the industrial output of China. In 2023, China is doubling the industrial output of the United States.