Why the World Is Drawing Battle Lines Against American Tech Giants • Hacker News Board

Re: Why the World Is Drawing Battle Lines Against American Tech Giants

#171

Post by HillaryBriss » Fri, Jun 03, 2016, 4:00 PM UTC

zanny wrote: post #170

HillaryBriss wrote: post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does that mean the presidential election's outcome won't make a significant difference for the vast majority of Americans, that whoever is elected - Sanders, Clinton, Trump, et al - will basically administer the Federal government the same way?

I wouldn't say that. The president has a tremendous amount of international influence, and they have control over federal departments and the military to direct a significant amount of their behavior. They just aren't the people that will change campaign finance reform, build walls, or raise the minimum wage. That is kind of what congress does. So you could elect any president and only see legislation they want passe…

The study's abstract says, among other things, ".. economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy, while average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence."

Toward the end the study notes: "When the preferences of economic elites and the stands of organized interest groups are controlled for, the preferences of the average American appear to have only a minuscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy."

At the national level, US democracy is an illusion.

Re: Why the World Is Drawing Battle Lines Against American Tech Giants

#172

Post by jaccklimet » Fri, Jun 03, 2016, 4:03 PM UTC

HillaryBriss wrote: post #171

zanny wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wouldn't say that. The president has a tremendous amount of international influence, and they have control over federal departments and the military to direct a significant amount of their behavior. They just aren't the people that will change campaign finance reform, build walls, or raise the minimum wage. That is kind of what congress does. So you could elect any president and only see legislation they want passe…

The study's abstract says, among other things, ".. economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy, while average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence." Toward the end the study notes: "When the preferences of economic elites and the stands of organized interest groups are controlled for, the…

http://navimumbaiescorts.co.in/

Re: Why the World Is Drawing Battle Lines Against American Tech Giants

#173

Post by jaccklimet » Fri, Jun 03, 2016, 4:03 PM UTC

HillaryBriss wrote: post #171

zanny wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wouldn't say that. The president has a tremendous amount of international influence, and they have control over federal departments and the military to direct a significant amount of their behavior. They just aren't the people that will change campaign finance reform, build walls, or raise the minimum wage. That is kind of what congress does. So you could elect any president and only see legislation they want passe…

The study's abstract says, among other things, ".. economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy, while average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence." Toward the end the study notes: "When the preferences of economic elites and the stands of organized interest groups are controlled for, the…

http://navimumbaiescorts.org.in

Re: Why the World Is Drawing Battle Lines Against American Tech Giants

#174

Post by jaccklimet » Fri, Jun 03, 2016, 4:03 PM UTC

HillaryBriss wrote: post #171

zanny wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wouldn't say that. The president has a tremendous amount of international influence, and they have control over federal departments and the military to direct a significant amount of their behavior. They just aren't the people that will change campaign finance reform, build walls, or raise the minimum wage. That is kind of what congress does. So you could elect any president and only see legislation they want passe…

The study's abstract says, among other things, ".. economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy, while average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence." Toward the end the study notes: "When the preferences of economic elites and the stands of organized interest groups are controlled for, the…

http://navimumbaiescorts.in

Re: Why the World Is Drawing Battle Lines Against American Tech Giants

#175

Post by wolfgke » Sat, Jun 04, 2016, 10:51 AM UTC

strictnein wrote: post #163

wolfgke wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> How is Netflix bending to the whim of the US government? National security letters.

Netflix has received those? Nope, they haven't.

It isn't allowed to talk about for a company when they received an NSL. So does Netflix at least have a warrant canary online?

Re: Why the World Is Drawing Battle Lines Against American Tech Giants

#176

Post by scholia » Sat, Jun 04, 2016, 12:00 PM UTC

DominikR wrote: post #158

scholia wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right, because it's not a level playing field. I could start a company in a small European country for €X but tackling the US market would cost me 10 times that, which I haven't got and can't raise. However, the comparable US company can invade my market not by raising 10x more money but by raising 10% more. Even if you're successful, like Spotify, a big American company can start up years later with an inferior prod…

> However, the comparable US company can invade my market Again talk about "invasion", I'd suggest you don't be so emotional so we can have a fruitful discussion. Aside from that nobody owns the market. You may feel it is an invasion because the barriers are low to do business as a foreigner, but this goes both ways. I successfully sold products in the US as an EU citizen without having an office there, so it is poss…

All of which may be true but misses the point. The size of the US market, and the availability of venture capital, means that there is no level playing field, and it's therefore almost impossible for most non-US tech companies to compete.

For various reasons, this may not wholly apply to Russian and Chinese companies, for example, but it certainly applies in Europe.

There are no European tech companies with the size and power of Google , Facebook, Microsoft, Intel, Apple etc. Indeed, there are no European tech companies with the size and power of BMW, VW, and Fiat etc. Nokia, briefly, was a notable exception.

If a non-US company is successful, it frequently gets taken over. Nokia, PayPal, Skype, and Minecraft are examples.

> no amount of protectionism will change that.

I wasn't suggesting protectionism. I was merely pointing out the facts of life in the tech market.

Incidentally, none of this is new: it's been happening for decades. US companies also wiped out the European mainframe, minicomputer and PC companies before we got to the point where they are wiping out the internet companies.

From the array that included companies such as Siemens, Nixdorf, ICL, Bull, Olivetti, Norsk Data, Acorn, Sinclair and dozens more, really only Siemens has survived, and that's because of its broad industrial base.

Re: Why the World Is Drawing Battle Lines Against American Tech Giants

#177

Post by wfo » Thu, Jun 09, 2016, 4:32 AM UTC

yummyfajitas wrote: post #148

wfo wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, it lets hobbyists and amateurs connect with each other. It doesn't help a well-respected cultural tradition of art continue and give it the tools it needs to continue to exist. And plenty of people like it. The whole point of art is that often, if it's worth anything, the majority of people don't like it. Comparing art to erotic fanfics really quite makes my point for me -- the character of your argument is laid…

The internet has made it easier than ever for content that only a tiny majority of people like to survive. If 99% of the population hates it and 1% loves it, you've got a viable business. Discussing the "lowest common denominator" is an outdated argument from the broadcast television era. "Lowest common denominator" doesn't exist anymore due to entertainment becoming fragmented. When it premiered, Seinfeld's ratings…

Actually yes we agree essentially -- it's not because it's enjoyed by fewer people, it's the ratio of cost to produce per person who will enjoy it.

The market isn't an effective vehicle for supporting art of any real value, it always has been.