U.S. attorney general: Hollywood, tech companies “pawns of Chinese influence” • Hacker News Board

Re: U.S. attorney general: Hollywood, tech companies “pawns of Chinese influence”

#151

Post by throwaway0a5e » Thu, Jul 16, 2020, 9:33 PM UTC

ineedasername wrote: post #111

I'm not sure any major company has either 1) not done business with China or 2) not seriously tried to do business with China. The massive emerging market there was too much of a $$$ opportunity for them to ignore. Yes, there's a difference between, say, a fast food chain that tries to get a foot hold in China and a technology company that helps provide tools used to limit rights of free speech etc. However, this is…

>Yes, there's a difference between, say, a fast food chain that tries to get a foot hold in China and a technology company that helps provide tools used to limit rights of free speech etc. However, this is a matter of degree, not kind.

I disagree.

Giving bad people money in exchange for hamburgers is different in kind than giving them the tools they need to continue doing bad things. Hamburgers are a commodity they can get from anyone. Tools are not.

Re: U.S. attorney general: Hollywood, tech companies “pawns of Chinese influence”

#152

Post by linuxftw » Thu, Jul 16, 2020, 9:34 PM UTC

jerrac wrote: post #136

cowmoo728 wrote: post #118

There is so much to unpack here that it's difficult to even get started. The US government has encouraged companies to work with China for decades. I remember it being big news when GM opened a joint venture in China in 1997. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAIC-GM The Clinton administration pushed hard to increase trade with China and make it easier for American companies to outsource manufacturing. https://en.wikiped…

> Virtually every large american company needs clear laws on working with China. I partially agree. Yes, the Federal government should heavily regulate trade with China. But companies don't need to wait on the Government to do what is right. Companies could have ignored any Government push to do business in China. Outsourcing ethics to Government regulation is just plain wrong.

> Companies could have ignored any Government push to do business in China.

The corporations are the ones that wanted it.

Re: U.S. attorney general: Hollywood, tech companies “pawns of Chinese influence”

#153

Post by Aunche » Thu, Jul 16, 2020, 9:35 PM UTC

ineedasername wrote: post #111

I'm not sure any major company has either 1) not done business with China or 2) not seriously tried to do business with China. The massive emerging market there was too much of a $$$ opportunity for them to ignore. Yes, there's a difference between, say, a fast food chain that tries to get a foot hold in China and a technology company that helps provide tools used to limit rights of free speech etc. However, this is…

The profit made from every Big Mac is money that leaves China and goes into the pocket of a foreign investor. This is infinitely more valuable than McDonalds making a tweet that supports Hong Kong. China knows this, which is why it's so hard for a foreign company to do business there even if you don't consider all the censorship laws.

Re: U.S. attorney general: Hollywood, tech companies “pawns of Chinese influence”

#154

Post by Meekro » Thu, Jul 16, 2020, 9:35 PM UTC

scarface74 wrote: post #48

ghthor wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those allegations turned out to be false.

Flynn admitted lying. https://www.google.com/amp/s/thehill.com/policy/defense/4217...

Speaking specifically about the Russian contacts, since I haven't read up on the Turkey stuff.. Flynn was a member of Trump's transition team, and it's understandable that foreign officials would be looking to meet with him and get a sense of how policy will change after Obama leaves office. For example, Obama had imposed sanctions on Russia two weeks before Trump's inauguration. Russia was wondering if Trump planned to double down on this course of action or reverse course, so they sent their ambassador to meet with Flynn.

It's arguable that Flynn violated the Logan Act, which criminalizes private citizens negotiating with foreign governments. However, that act (which dates back to John Adams) has not been invoked in court since 1852 and has never been applied to an incoming administration official going through an entirely predictable "get to know you" phase with foreign officials.

It's telling that Flynn was indicted for the lying and not the Logan Act violation. I honestly have no idea why he lied, but if he'd just told the FBI to go away, that probably would have been the end of it.

Re: U.S. attorney general: Hollywood, tech companies “pawns of Chinese influence”

#155

Post by linuxftw » Thu, Jul 16, 2020, 9:36 PM UTC

grumio wrote: post #144

cpr wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Only because he was pressured to, to save himself and his son financially. This is an incredible scandal which didn't come to light since the DOJ dropped the case against him. The prosecutors colluded with his own law firm to deny him justice. This has all come out since Syndey Powell took his case.

Flynn told FBI he didn't discuss specific sanctions in phone calls to a specific person. He did. Primary source, the phone transcripts, available for all to read: https://www.grassley.senate.gov/sites/default/files/2020-05-... What am I missing?

> What am I missing?

You're missing the transcripts of what Flynn told the FBI, provided by someone other than the FBI.

Re: U.S. attorney general: Hollywood, tech companies “pawns of Chinese influence”

#156

Post by boznz » Thu, Jul 16, 2020, 9:36 PM UTC

I would only manufacture something in china if there is a part of the stack that is essential and cannot be copied. There again I would do this for any external manufacturer because you can guarantee that if your product is ever a success it will be copied somewhere.

Re: U.S. attorney general: Hollywood, tech companies “pawns of Chinese influence”

#157

Post by Consultant32452 » Thu, Jul 16, 2020, 9:37 PM UTC

entropea wrote: post #29

tehjoker wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd like to see an experiment where the united states stops killing people at the border, just letting people in prison die from COVID, and attacking peaceful protestors with military equipment. See how that works? Let us not forget the founding of the country was based on genocide and slavery. We ally with regressive states like Saudi Arabia and formerly places like nuclear apartheid South Africa. Only protests and…

You bring up a very good point about Saudi. We're friendly allies and I absolutely never see the rage for them and their human rights violations that I see against China. It's almost as if there's some manufactured consent occurring.

I would recommend watching different sources. The corporate press in the US is basically always going to support the war machine. The major political parties are only nominally against war when they're not in power. Tim Pool and Jimmy Dore come to mind as two news commentators who are consistently anti-war. Tim is center-left and Jimmy is far left. If right wing/extreme libertairan anti-war is more your style, you might like Dave Smith.

Re: U.S. attorney general: Hollywood, tech companies “pawns of Chinese influence”

#158

Post by loldk » Thu, Jul 16, 2020, 9:39 PM UTC

Our "intelligence" and leadership groups in this country are nothing more than a farce.

This is comical.

They thought China was full of idiots they could take advantage of and treat like dirt. They got so cocky they didn't even see this coming lol.

Holy shit they are dumb, that or even more dumb thinking this is going anywhere they want it to.

Re: U.S. attorney general: Hollywood, tech companies “pawns of Chinese influence”

#159

Post by boomboomsubban » Thu, Jul 16, 2020, 9:40 PM UTC

Aunche wrote: post #142

muleroid wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Historically the US trade relationship with China was based on a principal that doing so would encourage the adoption of democracy there. Seeing as how that hasn't happened, this kind of rhetoric could just be an attempt to course correct (maybe overly so). I'm sure the upcoming elections also play a part in this. The article briefly mentions that as well.

Encouraging the adoption of democracy is never a true goal to any geopolitical decision. It's only used to deflect criticism from naysayers. The US has used the same justification to bomb nations and install fascist dictators. "You oppose going to war with Iraq? So you hate democracy then?"

In China's case, "spreading democracy" just meant "remove from Soviet sphere." We broadly used the same term at the same time to open trade with China and fight the Vietnam War.

Re: U.S. attorney general: Hollywood, tech companies “pawns of Chinese influence”

#160

Post by dang » Thu, Jul 16, 2020, 9:41 PM UTC

loldk wrote: post #158

Our "intelligence" and leadership groups in this country are nothing more than a farce. This is comical. They thought China was full of idiots they could take advantage of and treat like dirt. They got so cocky they didn't even see this coming lol. Holy shit they are dumb, that or even more dumb thinking this is going anywhere they want it to.

Please don't post in the flamewar style to HN. We're trying for a bit better than this here.

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html