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iPhone maker Wistron quits, saying Apple didn't let it make a profit

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Re: iPhone maker Wistron quits, saying Apple didn't let it make a profit

#151
post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't wistron literally a taiwanese company?

I don't know, but they're exiting the business anyway. The article also mentions Foxconn and Luxshare, which are Chinese.

Foxconn is also a Taiwanese company (though its CEO is familiar with PRC)

Re: iPhone maker Wistron quits, saying Apple didn't let it make a profit

#152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you suggest as an alternative to our imperfect capitalism?

Star Trek

I too look forward to the post scarcity society that replicators would enable, but until then we as a species really need to learn to rein it in before we consume ourselves into a corner we can't get out of.

Re: iPhone maker Wistron quits, saying Apple didn't let it make a profit

#153
post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> a sense of urgency I've never heard this phrase from anyone that wasn't nakedly seeking power and compliance from others.

That is not my experience at all. It's even used by sports announcers. As an example: "The offense needs to move with more sense of urgency given the clock."

Your analogy is completely off base. There’s endurance sports and interval type of sports. The examples you provided are what seems to be interval type of sports.

High focus and high intensity is not sustainable over duration. Performance degrades over time without recovery.

Re: iPhone maker Wistron quits, saying Apple didn't let it make a profit

#154
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, that's certainly a valid reaction, and is likely partially true. It's also true that Apple is very well known for very hard negotiation and squeezing their suppliers until there's only a few percent margin. You'd have to be insanely good at controlling all of your costs to make money all the time under that constraint. If yields change or component/material prices fluctuate the wrong way any predicted profit cou…

It's good to know the full story, but it's reprehensible? I don't want to cast stones but a really easy connection to make is that wistron took the contact knowing they could only "be profitable" by not paying their labor. So I'm supposed to hate Apple for doing what a business is supposed to do (and frankly being excellent at it). And I'm supposed to champion Wistron for what they did? That's reprehensible if we're…

>And I'm supposed to champion Wistron?

Why would you think that? There's no need to think that at all when considering the actions of Apple.

Re: iPhone maker Wistron quits, saying Apple didn't let it make a profit

#155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know, but they're exiting the business anyway. The article also mentions Foxconn and Luxshare, which are Chinese.

Foxconn is also a Taiwanese company (though its CEO is familiar with PRC)

More info from Wikipedia: "While headquartered in Taiwan, the company earns the majority of its revenue from assets in mainland China and is one of the largest employers worldwide."

Re: iPhone maker Wistron quits, saying Apple didn't let it make a profit

#156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use to think it was narcissism of small differences, Sino-sphere cultures hating on each other but from what I hear in Vietnam, they're jerks to everyone. Even PRC firms in Viet did not seem to have _that_ bad of reputation to work for. > India System Does lobbying power from Tata or Adani influence over said politics? Seems like they have competence and connections to take over failed foreign ventures. Not implyin…

> from what I hear in Vietnam, they're jerks to everyone. It seems like the older generation of Taiwanese who came to age in the 70s and 80s have a bit of a superiority complex over the rest of poor Asia. Tbf, Koreans and Japanese do as well (Korean and Japanese investors in ASEAN are total sleezeballs in my experience), but due to manpower constraints they at least try to develop local institutional capacity, while…

Thanks for the insightful write up. I was aware of the IN-US trade war, but I thought American companies would ultimately suck it up like they did in PRC where US goods like vehicles got slapped by heavy duties. PRC agri sector is also protected for national security and to keep 100s millions employed, not a voting block, but similar political considerations. Also won't buy US modified seeds. But they do buy a ton of bulk agri products, and farm equipment... when not sanctioned. Seems weird so many divested from India under similar circumstances. Mom and pop India farmers not buying enough John Deere or something? Indian consumers not projected to eat enough meat / buy enough US animal feed? New American attitude to trade? Or US lack of adeptness you mentioned?

Re: iPhone maker Wistron quits, saying Apple didn't let it make a profit

#157
post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> this is what apple does This is what globalism does. Take the environmental destruction and shitty working conditions that would never be allowed in your own country to other countries and centralize the profits from doing so into the hands of a few.

Globalism prevent wars by making countries dependant to each others (Montesquieu Doux commerce theory). Globalism permits to all countries around the globe to develop. Nobody is preventing these countries to set laws about environment and working condition (which they actually do). And by the way, I invite you to go to these countries and visit the factories there, and you will realize that western companies are rais…

> Globalism prevent wars by making countries dependant to each others (Montesquieu Doux commerce theory).

He was wrong though, it appears, no? I mean one could argue that there would be more wars without globalism (I'd counter argue there would be less weapons) but one cannot say "globalism prevents wars" in general.

Re: iPhone maker Wistron quits, saying Apple didn't let it make a profit

#158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I first heard it from the military, where training seeks to recreate the stressful fast-pace conditions of an actual battle or war. Years later I started hearing it in business too, as if management circles thought it would be useful in increasing production rates. Not accounting for the fact that levels of urgency similar to military training may not be sustainable in peacetime, and result in workforce burnout and o…

None of your statements disagree with the comment that you're replying to. All of those situations are ones in which people are nakedly demanding compliance

I didn’t say I disagreed.

Re: iPhone maker Wistron quits, saying Apple didn't let it make a profit

#159
post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> this is what apple does This is what globalism does. Take the environmental destruction and shitty working conditions that would never be allowed in your own country to other countries and centralize the profits from doing so into the hands of a few.

Globalism prevent wars by making countries dependant to each others (Montesquieu Doux commerce theory). Globalism permits to all countries around the globe to develop. Nobody is preventing these countries to set laws about environment and working condition (which they actually do). And by the way, I invite you to go to these countries and visit the factories there, and you will realize that western companies are rais…

Coming from, let's say, 2nd-world-country that receives it's fair share of outsourcing...

There's absolutely a big push to keep employment laws as well as other laws „flexible“. And keep salaries as low as realistically possible. Otherwise MUH INVESTORS will go somewhere else. To be fair, it's not (just) foreign investors. Local elite is making $$$ providing support to incoming companies. Real estate moguls, construction companies, subcontractors etc.

Ultimately it is a race to the bottom to appease the sacred investor and let local elite enrich themselves.

Re: iPhone maker Wistron quits, saying Apple didn't let it make a profit

#160
post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> this is what apple does This is what globalism does. Take the environmental destruction and shitty working conditions that would never be allowed in your own country to other countries and centralize the profits from doing so into the hands of a few.

Globalism prevent wars by making countries dependant to each others (Montesquieu Doux commerce theory). Globalism permits to all countries around the globe to develop. Nobody is preventing these countries to set laws about environment and working condition (which they actually do). And by the way, I invite you to go to these countries and visit the factories there, and you will realize that western companies are rais…

No, it's a race to the bottom. It forces the countries to which manufacturing is outsourced to, to not have strict labour laws, low salaries, lenient pollution control and keep conditions generaly favourable for the company, at the cost of the people working there, or else the multi-billion dollar corpos will turn to another country to get the cheapest manufacturing possible
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