Globalisation and the Jungfrau - its a good thing folks

One other thing that I noticed on the Swiss trip was just how good a thing Globalisation is. Now I know there are a bunch of people in IT who are massively in favour of protectionism, this is normally because they fall on the wrong side of Meyfroidt's Law and are part of the IT problem rather than its solution.
Anyway back to Switzerland, normally on a jaunt such as this the demographics of foreign tourists goes

1. Japanese
2. Americans
3. Brits
4. Germans

Sometimes the Americans move up, sometimes the Germans beat the Brits, but pretty much always this is the "top four" in the tourist stakes.

Well on the way up the Jungfrau the list was completely different

1. Indians
2. Japanese
3. Americans
4. Brits
5. Australians
6. Germans

The Aussies slightly cheated by all being under the age of 30 and on a "round Europe" bus and train tour (with no hotels). But the Indians were there at the top on merit, easily the largest set of foreign nationals around.

This is exactly what globalisation is about and exactly why it is a good thing. When people bleat about "jobs going abroad", especially in IT, what it means is that someone elsewhere can do your job for cheaper, which means you need to improve your skills and offer something more... or (and I know its cruel) pick another career. In return those people who now have a better job, earn more money and want to get ahead will come and spend that money in the countries that are actually paying them... because Switzerland really is a cracking place to visit.

The end result is everyone gets a bit richer, and overall everyone is happier. Now I know it sucks if you find your skills out of date and replaced by either machines or people in cheaper economies, but that is exactly the system that works in the world, and exactly the system that has been created by the countries that are now complaining about it.

Globalisation of IT means more people from India spending money in the US and Europe, not just money going to India, and as bunch of tourists they are pretty considerate which is nice for a change.

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