Is Britain a basket case?

Vortex · Post by **Vortex** » 12 Jan 2007, 16:22

Man on left has mucho oil & gas. Man on right has diddley-squat

I found this at the Oil Drum. It made me think ...

What EXACTLY does Britain have to offer the world?

In the next decades what service or goods will we be able to export or trade for oil and/or gas?

Mean Mr Mustard · Post by **Mean Mr Mustard** » 12 Jan 2007, 17:58

Advanced weaponry (with suitable inducements to the people making the purchasing decisions). This already seems to be where most advanced engineering jobs are concentrated these days.

Footballers and less talented 'celebs'?

Media, TV, radio, especially BBC

People with premium skills.

Other than that, not a lot?

grinu · Post by **grinu** » 12 Jan 2007, 18:11

Currently: Technology, Drugs, Weapons, Investments. Plus lots of WTO bias.

There'll probably be some wrangling in the short term with carbon credits etc.

In the long-term.....

Totally_Baffled · Post by **Totally_Baffled** » 12 Jan 2007, 19:22

Yeah I thought about this too.

Indeed - the US and UK are the first to be accused of "not producing much", their economies are predominatly "services" based.

Well the latter is true, but the first is contentious.

The UK is still the fifth largest manafacturer IN THE WORLD(source: the economist Pocket world in figures)

The US is the largest manafacturer in the world.

Both countries manafacturing output is growing.

The rankings are the same for both countries in total industrial output and services (as it happens).

So if in relative terms , the UK are US are still in the game.

We have to think in relative terms , since all the oil and gas is in a concentrated small group of countries (ME , Russia etc), so those countries aside , we are all in the same boat?(when considering what we will all do post peak as countries)

What makes it even more interesting is those oil producers need the skills of the oil poor western countries to exploit their resource.

GD · Post by GD » 12 Jan 2007, 21:06

What EXACTLY does Britain have to offer the world?

dont you understand that everybody wants to live here... ?

we have property property property

we don't need to work

We will all be millionaires anyway!

(Sorry, it's that friday feeling...)

GD · Post by GD » 12 Jan 2007, 21:09

Totally_Baffled wrote:The UK is still the fifth largest manafacturer IN THE WORLD(source: the economist Pocket world in figures)

The US is the largest manafacturer in the world.

Seriously though, I wonder how much of this is slapping a made in UK or USA sticker on a widget that been made in China from a western engineering firms design. I hardly know of anything that's not made that way.

MacG · Post by **MacG** » 12 Jan 2007, 21:16

Yes.

Refering to the original question.

XENG · Post by **XENG** » 12 Jan 2007, 21:23

There was a programme on BBC2 not so long ago called "What Makes Britain Rich" which pointed out how many UK companies now only own the intellectual property to lots of things yet all the actual manufacturing is done in foreign countries.

skeptik · Post by **skeptik** » 12 Jan 2007, 22:19

grinu wrote:Currently: Technology, Drugs, Weapons, Investments. Plus lots of WTO bias.

...and let us not forget Insurance, 'A' levels, Tracy Emin and James Bond.

um... you can keep Tracy Emin... please... somebody? anybody?

Totally_Baffled · Post by **Totally_Baffled** » 12 Jan 2007, 22:32

Seriously though, I wonder how much of this is slapping a made in UK or USA sticker on a widget that been made in China from a western engineering firms design. I hardly know of anything that's not made that way.

XENG wrote:There was a programme on BBC2 not so long ago called "What Makes Britain Rich" which pointed out how many UK companies now only own the intellectual property to lots of things yet all the actual manufacturing is done in foreign countries.

The manafacturing sector employs 4 million people (15% of the workforce), I doubt that they are all only applying "Made in the UK stickers" to foreign produced goods somehow!!!

GD · Post by GD » 12 Jan 2007, 22:39

Totally_Baffled wrote:
Seriously though, I wonder how much of this is slapping a made in UK or USA sticker on a widget that been made in China from a western engineering firms design. I hardly know of anything that's not made that way.
The manafacturing sector employs 4 million people (15% of the workforce), I doubt that they are all only applying "Made in the UK stickers" to foreign produced goods somehow!!!

I may have been exaggerating somewhat when I said "slapping on a sticker"... But lets be clear we survive by staying "higher up the value added chain" because we simply cannot compete on a like for like basis. It is worth noting that that 15% was 30% 20 yrs ago.

MisterE · Post by **MisterE** » 12 Jan 2007, 22:44

Also how much are manufacturing for needs and how much for wants. IE things people need to build and maintain a society like metals, building materials, fuels, transport etc and how much is wants ie goods for shops? As one thing is sure, when the worlds service industry and all those office paper pushers are finally put in their proper place as a non skilled tax paying wastes of oxegen filling paper with bluetooths in their ears whist using fingers for intalics stating they are working on project fecking phoenix, there will be no or very little market for goods. I dont know how our manufacturing base in the UK is weighted but i hope its the latter

Totally_Baffled · Post by **Totally_Baffled** » 12 Jan 2007, 22:55

GD wrote:
Totally_Baffled wrote:
Seriously though, I wonder how much of this is slapping a made in UK or USA sticker on a widget that been made in China from a western engineering firms design. I hardly know of anything that's not made that way.
The manafacturing sector employs 4 million people (15% of the workforce), I doubt that they are all only applying "Made in the UK stickers" to foreign produced goods somehow!!!
I may have been exaggerating somewhat when I said "slapping on a sticker"... But lets be clear we survive by staying "higher up the value added chain" because we simply cannot compete on a like for like basis. It is worth noting that that 15% was 30% 20 yrs ago.

And what is wrong with being at "higher up the value chain?" Do we really want the low paid , making cheap plastic crap jobs anyway?

Surely in terms of "skills", higher end stuff is better?

UK manafacturing may employ less, but it is still worth $400 billion , and is second highest in Europe (behind) Germany, and the fifth highest in the world.

I read so much about how wonderful western Europes economies are compared to the UK (because they're supposed to be more based on "making stuff") and it turns out we produce more than they do!!!

We have our problems, and things will be bad , BUT PLEASE , let us have some CONTEXT FOR GOD SAKE!

MisterE · Post by **MisterE** » 13 Jan 2007, 00:19

Some facts I didnt know there, fair play

Back to the picy, do you think Gorgy is speaking russian or Putin is speaking english rofl

And who the hell is the man in the middle its always the quiet ones to look out for. Putin also looks like he's not listening and thinking about what is really going to happen - soon to be followed by a smile and a nod you just cant take the KGB out of him

Totally_Baffled · Post by **Totally_Baffled** » 13 Jan 2007, 09:53

MisterE wrote:Some facts I didnt know there, fair play Back to the picy, do you think Gorgy is speaking russian or Putin is speaking english rofl And who the hell is the man in the middle its always the quiet ones to look out for. Putin also looks like he's not listening and thinking about what is really going to happen - soon to be followed by a smile and a nod you just cant take the KGB out of him

One thing is for sure - Putin is very smart.

He holds all the cards (or should we say hydrocarbons) - if it wasnt for the russians "broken" political and economic systems, Russia would be the future and final global super power.

Also - they have a slight issue with a rapidly falling population (although a good thing in the long run!?)