I don't think there's any easy answer. There's a vast redistribution of wealth going on. We can't compete based on wages alone. There are too many people who are hungry (literally and figuratively) for a piece of the pie. I do think though that the West has become a little too soft. We can be more productive without going to sweatshop conditions. I think though that in order to compete, all of us are going to have to realize that we're not in Kansas anymore and we may have to get back to more of a traditional work ethic. Every hour that we're shopping, checking out the latest sports scores and emailing jokes is an hour someone overseas is making a profit for someone. I'm certainly not for banning all non-work activity but if the figures we see for lost productivity due to the internet are even half right, that's a whole lot of money. I can't believe a couple of days ago, I'm quoting Rumsfeld and now I'm siding with the bean counters. The Renderosity forums are turning me into a Republican! )-:

"Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." - H. L. Mencken