this post was submitted on 10 Dec 2023
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[–] [email protected] 59 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

It's not on, it really isn't, the Chinese shouldn't be allowed to engage in the free market. They're supposed to be the enemy.

They should be sanctioned so that Western car makers can continue to put out vehicles for ludicrous prices, the way God intends.

[–] [email protected] 40 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I get your sarcasm, but Chinese products are life savers in 3rd world countries like mine. My brother bought a Chinese pickup truck for $3500 brand new. American trucks are at least 10 times that. People there work a whole month for $500 - $900. No one can and will never afford that shit. Same goes for other products like cellphones, computers.... Etc. an iPhone there costs $1200 - $1400 and a Chinese one costs $300 max and it does the job no problem. People in those countries love China.

[–] CeeBee -2 points 11 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

3rd world countries. Or do you want specific names?

[–] CeeBee -5 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Yes, I asked "which countries", not "what kind of countries"?

[–] [email protected] 11 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Iraq is where I'm originally from, and Chinese products are ubiquitous there. They even built schools and hospitals there. Sorry for misunderstanding at first.

[–] OrteilGenou 7 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Don't apologize to that heifer

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

I had to look up heifer. Made me laugh. lol

[–] Metatronz 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Lord. The irony. Could have had a little US in Iraq after us essentially living there forever. Now it's Chinatown

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Yup. US could have taken all the contracts and became the good guy, but nope, they burnt it down to the ground and left.

[–] Metatronz 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Not that we should have the contracts and control a country like that, but I'd like to think there could have been a win/win. Would have been nice to have a friendly and supported Iraq, on its way to healing some, at the end of the day.

Overall, a failure of US leadership on all fronts. Any positive results may have just been a bridge too far in the minds of politicians and rallying the public just not worth it for them. Silly.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

That's exactly what I meant, a win win situation. "Hey, we know we fucked up, but here let us get you some very much discounted contracts to rebuild your country". And don't get me started on politicians. :/

Edit: I meant to say, you've worded it correctly/better than I did :)

[–] Grimy 1 points 11 months ago
[–] [email protected] 16 points 11 months ago (2 children)

I know someone is going to read that and not get the implied /s

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

I don't know, I feel like it works on both levels really. There are actual people that think like that and it's insane. The US trade war doesn't really help, It paints China as the bad guy even though they're only doing the same thing as every other country in the world.

By all means demand China improves in areas which makes sense such as blatant copyright violation and human rights abuses but not this. Making cheap cars is hardly nefarious.

[–] Blue_Morpho 6 points 11 months ago (2 children)

It depends on how it's done. If the Chinese government is directly subsidizing the cheap cars then it's a problem.

Kind of like the US subsidizing farmers and then dumping the cheap corn on other countries such that their local farmers go out of business.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

That's capitalism. You don't get to complain because someone else gets a better deal.

China will always be able to produce cheaper products because the cost of living is lower there. But that is hardly a major revelation.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 11 months ago (2 children)

You forgot the uyghurs and slave labour...
Convenient.

[–] Blue_Morpho 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Well the US has 1.2 million prisoners who get paid on average 86 cents a day. So effectively slave labor. That they aren't directly building cars doesn't matter because money is fungible. Every dollar saved not paying prisoners is more money elsewhere in the economy.

https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2017/04/10/wages/

[–] [email protected] -2 points 11 months ago (3 children)

Ugh I can't believe I'm wading into a "who's worse" thing on the internet, but here we go! Are the imprisoned Uyghurs all convicted criminals? Not that it makes it ok that the US prisoners are effectively slave labor but they did do something to get there (yeah yeah unfair justice system sure but I want to believe most are there for a legit reason). Maybe the Uyghurs broke the law of "don't be a Uyghur" and the US prisoners all jaywalked. I don't know. Even if we can say one is worse, everybody sucks. Why did I say something here? I feel gross now. I have to go take a shower. Look what you've made me do! It looks like I've defended effective slave labor and somehow endorsed the US' incarceration system!

[–] Blue_Morpho 4 points 11 months ago

Maybe the Uyghurs broke the law of “don’t be a Uyghur” and the US prisoners all jaywalked.

I suspect "don't be Uyghur" in China is equivalent to "driving while Black" in the US.

[–] CeeBee 4 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

I can't believe I'm wading into a "who's worse" thing on the internet,

China. China is way worse. It's not even a fair comparison.

China has a near 99% conviction rate of all "trials". People get disappeared all the time at an alarming rate. Criticizing the government is illegal and silenced immediately. Buying a woman (trafficking) is punishable by three years in prison. Importing an invasive species of plant is punishable by 7 years in prison. Buying/owning an airsoft rifle can land you life in prison.

They are currently violating the maritime borders of many countries, to the point where they are deploying nets as a way to "claim" the waters well beyond what they're entitled to by international law.

During covid they welded shut the entrance to buildings to forcibly keep people inside. And many of those people died from starvation or being ill and not receiving care. Then there were those buildings that caught fire and the occupants couldn't get out.

Then again during covid it was mandated that "foreigners" were not allowed into grocery stores, restaurants, hospitals, etc. And it didn't matter if you lived their for decades, or your whole life, of you weren't Han Chinese you're a foreigner. Some people even had signs up that said "blacks are not allowed inside".

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-stay-away-from-here-in-china-foreigners-have-become-a-target-for/

And this isn't the people's fault. They're working off of information and mandates given to them by their government. A government that has a death grip on all communication in the country.

And this doesn't even get into the allegations of organ harvesting of the Uyghurs (and others). And yes, "only allegations" because that kind of thing would be done in very dark and secure basements. Although there are first hand accounts of people who witnessed such things who managed to get out, it's anecdotal but there are more than one account.

Edit: just to add. I'm not American, and don't live in the US. I think that country is terribly broken in many, many ways. I would never want to ever live there, but I would choose the US in a heartbeat if it was down to that place or China.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago

The chinese dictatorship is worse

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Yes I did, I mentioned human rights abusers, it's right there in the comment that I made, I can still see it.

I find it's always a good idea to actually read the comments before getting angry about them.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

That’s capitalism. You don’t get to complain because someone else gets a better deal.

China will always be able to produce cheaper products because the cost of living is lower there. But that is hardly a major revelation.

Where?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

https://feddit.uk/comment/5127995

Like I said, it's a good idea to read the comments.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago

Thats deleted. No comment there.

[–] buzz86us 2 points 11 months ago

they have dropped subsidies, and the companies making terrible product, and those with unsustainable business models are collapsing.. Weltmeister, Lepin.. all defunct.

[–] nutsack 5 points 11 months ago

I don't care about them