What Things are and What Things are Not

Like other guys, I have a fondness for machines and mechanical or electrical things. For some it is cars, for others yachts or motorcycles. Some are collectors of power tools. My favorite is audio equipment. You know amplifiers, turntables, loudspeakers, and so forth. And, like most everybody else, I really enjoy reading about and looking at the best and most expensive items out there.

Among the most prestigious manufacturers of audio equipment is Daniel Hertz located in Switzerland. The founder, Mark Levinson, is no longer associated with his earlier company that still bears his name, but that’s another story. Apart from being something of a guru in the industry, Mr. Levinson was also the third husband of American actress Kim Cattrall. His customers are typically people who have more money in their cookie jar than I’ve earned in my lifetime. For example: his M1 loudspeaker system costs €223.000.00 ($236,000.00 at the current rate of exchange).

My purpose in introducing you to him is because of an interview that he gave a few years ago. In it, he was asked: “What do you think about products coming from China?” To which he simply responded: “Some are good. Quality is not by nationality”.

How very true. Too often we pass judgements upon people, places, and products based on nothing more than a stereotype that may never have been true. These stereotypes often have their roots in the diplomatic relations or economic rivalries of various countries, as if that’s a good way to judge the people who live in those countries; and don’t forget, those relationships are never permanent. Friend today, enemy tomorrow. Today you’re good, and tomorrow you’re bad. Back and forth like the windshield wipers on a car during a thunderstorm.

Ultimately, we are all individuals. Things like intelligence, compassion, truthfulness, and love are the traits of individuals, not nationalities, ethnicities, or even language groups.  Likewise, greed, hate, and deceitfulness are also personal qualities well distributed among the world’s population.

I remember when we referred to cars made in Japan as “Japanese Junk”! Today, many would argue that they produce better quality cars than we do. Of course, getting one’s products into various markets isn’t a simple matter. Many factors, both political and economic may stand in the way. The usual solution is to simply make a decent product at an unbeatably low price. This is the strategy which Japan and others have successfully employed and, once established, improved quality with higher prices followed.

Oh! I failed to mention skill and determination. These qualities often come to my mind when I watch documentaries about accidents (usually aircraft accidents) and the process of determining what went wrong. Many people have a fear of flying and wouldn’t dream of flying on a foreign airline as they believe that foreign pilots simply aren’t as good as ours. Well, there are excellent and not-so-excellent pilots everywhere. I never cease to be amazed at how many terrible disasters have been prevented by the skill and knowledge of some second and third world pilots. The same holds true for the investigators. Determination, skill, and professionalism are not nationalities or ethnicities.

One particular case that comes to my mind involved a plane crash in which the pilot, who was powerless to prevent the crash, and the lead investigator were both women. I think that we better add man or woman to the list of what some things are or are not.

To wrap this up, we live in a world of biases and prejudices served to us daily by self-serving politicians and journalists. It is very difficult to ignore their influence, so…the next time you find yourself placing a label upon a country or other group of people, you just might want to consider the quality of a Chinese amplifier.

Well,…you know what I mean…it’s something to think about.