>
>
> world capitalism is like a movie theater - the best seats do
> not necessarily go to the smartest, bravest, and most skilled, but to
> those who got their tickets first. That is to say, if everything else
> being the same as it is now, the US and, say, India or China swapped
> their places in the "world system" and it was the US trying to get to
> the markets already dominated by Indian or Chinese firms, US
> corporations would be a laughing stock of mediocrity and incompetence.
>
> One may also asks how come that the US firms - with all their
> mediocrity and inefficiency - gained their dominant position? The
> answer, I believe is that their main competitors, Europeans, decided
> to obliterate each other in the World War II - which had a twofold
> effect: (i) it substantially weakened Eurpeans countries individually
> and collectively and (ii) it created an unprecedented opportunity for
> US firms to profit from that bloodletting.
That's one reason. The other BIG reason is immigration. Every generation, the U.S. has a sizable number of extra-hard-working wage-slavers -- whether from Africa or Eastern Europe or Western Europe or Latin America....they bring brain and brawn and terrified obedience and kids that are education-hungry and fabulous performance monkeys (like me). This too tips the scales.
(More on the meritocracy later -- re Dwayne's post. I wish LBO didn't get interesting when I have SOOOO much work at work. )
Joanna