Great Movie on Hulu this week "The Entrepreneur"

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

This is a movie about Malcolm Bricklin of Subaru, Bricklin and Yugo fame and his recent failed attempt to do business with a Chinese car maker.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/85122/the-entrepreneur
http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/24/a-malcolm-bricklin-deal-on-film/

It is a great cautionary tale about the dangers of doing business with the Chinese. It is a world I know first hand, the Chinese will screw you over for information and contacts and then try to cut you out of the picture entirely.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. I had Chinese clients

in a few matters.

Diligent clients, paid up front in cash right on time, did as I told them, produced all the documents, and I learned to ignore the occasional fistfight that broke out during our conferences.

I had nothing but pleasant and successful dealings with my Chinese and Taiwanese clients, but I also worked my ass off for them, and once they learned that they couldn't call me every time they had an unpleasant exchange with the newsboy, they backed off and behaved.

Still, I learned to count my fingers every time we shook hands, and I made sure that the boundaries I was forced to establish by their bossiness were NEVER breached.

Afghanis are tough fighters, and I don't think anyone will ever defeat them - including us.

But the Chinese will end up owning the world, because they are relentless, and will do whatever it takes to get whatever they want, exploit every perceived weakness, trounce every slight misstep, and they'll do it to their own family members, which makes them invincible.

The only thing sacred is winning. All else fails................

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[galileoreloaded]

7. Your post but more importantly the replies show just how right you are...

projecting the American(tm) sensitivities and paradigm onto cultures they know nothing about. Cultures steeped in tens of thousands of years in tradition and societal evolution.

Funniest part is, short of a few EU countries and maybe Canada, the rest of the world is so much more of the Randian nightmare than many here realize. In 80% of the world, the weak do get eaten. But we as Americans have no frame of reference for this, so we default to what we know, and what we know is relative justice, parity, and fairness, if you will.

Which part of the elephant are YOU touching and describing????

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[invictus]

11. +1

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[anigbrowl]

3. Interesting. So you're suggesting my wife is just out to sleep with my friends?

Please, tell us more about the evil Chinese.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

9. why don't you watch the movie before rambling on?

the movie is about a US company trying to do business with a Chinese company that turned around and stabbed them in the back, not opium dens and firecrackers.

[anigbrowl]

13. Because what you describe sounds like the core of business than the core of Chinese society

Your presentation is, frankly, racist.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

14. save the fake outrage and race card for something else

these are the realities of doing business in mainland China and a specific example is brilliantly documented in this film.

[anigbrowl]

15. There is nothing fake about my distaste for you.

[invictus]

6. K&R

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

10. I've worked for over sixteen years in a Chinese law office

in the "New Chinatown" area just outside of downtown Los Angeles. I'm an immigration lawyer. I call it a "Chinese" law office because my boss is a Chinese lady from Taiwan who is also a lawyer and everyone who works there is Chinese (except me) and virtually 99% of the clients are Chinese from either mainland China, Taiwan, ethnic Chinese people from Indonesia or Malaysia, and several other parts of the world.

I greatly admire the Chinese. For the most part, the ones I've met are very hard-working, family-oriented, law-abiding, intelligent, and decent people. I've been to China several times and have greatly enjoyed my visits. I don't think all Chinese are money-driven. In my capacity as a lawyer, I've handled many immigration cases of artists, singers, filmmakers, journalists, dancers, research scientists, and engineers, among other professionals. Most of these clients are primarily driven to excel at their professions rather than to just make as much money as possible.

But I do agree with the notion that Chinese business people tend to be rather ruthless in their business dealings. I've handled hundreds of cases involving business immigration such as business tranferees from Chinese companies to their U.S. subsidiaries. In the course of those cases, I get to see many contracts and business deals, as evidence required by U.S. immigration (the USCIS) to establish their petitions. I'm not trying to stereotype Chinese businessmen and I'm not saying that I have universal knowledge on this subject, but I can only offer my reaction from having seen many, many business situations involving Chinese companies. I think there's an unconscious social directive for a Chinese business person to not only get a fair deal, but to absolutely skin the other party alive. It almost seems to be a point of honor for a Chinese businessman to come away from a deal with as much of an unfair advantage as possible. They're very good at business and for that reason I would hesitate to ever enter a deal with a Chinese business person or company. I'd be very worried about the fine print or the end effect of some clause I hadn't anticipated.

But that said, I think the American businessman is even better. Frankly, I think the American businessman is the king at business throughout the world and could sell ice to an Eskimo. I would prefer doing business with a Chinese business person than an American company. Maybe there isn't the social or cultural demand that an American whallop his corresponding party in a contract and get more than just a fair deal. But I think American companies will push the envelop as far as possible, do everything the traffic will allow, and then turn the matter over to their legal department if problems arise. American businessmen are driven by profit and greed instead of just the pleasure of getting one over on another party.

I hope I haven't offended anyone by this. As mentioned, I greatly admire the Chinese and I know that many of them are not motivated by money. But I have also noticed that they can be very, very tough (even frightening) in a business setting.

[zonkers]

12. Thanks for the tip Senator. I watched the first 3/4. Will finish tonight. I totally dug the

Bricklin when it came out. My neighbors had one. White. It was outta sight. His wife drove it in a mini skirt. Classic.