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0 pointspwnna2y ago0 comments

You're exactly right. I'm not asking for people to choose an inferior, pricier product. My thoughts is that China has the environment to have extreme competition which is leading to better product. This is distinctly not the case here. This is the structural problem that will eventually lead to a loss of competitive edge.

Your call out to BYD is a good one, because it is conceivable that even western-made cars will be made non competitive in 10 years and it seems that we are sleeping through the news (or even encouraging it). I hope I'm wrong, but the road ahead is filled with challenge because the direction is fundamentally wrong, and it will take a lot of effort to reverse course, if that is even possible.

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6 comments · 2 top-level

kredd2y ago· 3 in thread

Yeah it sucks. We’re trying to play catch up game for manufacturing industry, but it’s abysmally hard to get it going. I don’t think we can easily pour down money and the talent and processes would just reappear in a couple of years either. So, my assumption is high-scale tech protectionism wars are going to start.

pwnnaOP2y ago

I think people focus on protectionism because that is the traditional tool to fight things like foreign government's unfair subsidy practices. However, you cant just have protectionism without fostering competition and innovation in order to succeed in creating a more competitive product/market. Example would be USA protectionism against Canada's bombardier. It only protected Boeing but didn't actually make Boeing make better planes, as we can see from all the recent issues.

So I think protectioism is fine as long as we properly setup an environment that allows for and encourages competition and innovation. However, that doesn't seem to be a path we are used to taking .

kredd2y ago

Absolutely agreed. I do think it will go the Argentina way if/when we start mass banning imports of Chinese consumer tech. Well, unless, as you mentioned we start heavily investing and encouraging local competition. I guess, time will show, but I hope we don’t cut ourselves out of good products just because “they’re foreign”.

throwaway20372y ago

> Example would be USA protectionism against Canada's bombardier.

Can you give some specific examples? I couldn't find anything. I'm pretty sure that US and Canada have nearly free trade, due to NAFTA.

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chucke19922y ago· 1 in thread

A lot of western companies do not compete anymore - established european countries are basically oligopolies and their lunch is slowly eaten by the more aggressive chinese companies and Tesla. American companies - aside Tesla - is in the same situation. Rich on government contracts and control over their home market.

Basically a lot of established manufacturers are IBMs of this era.

hylaride2y ago

Uh, Tesla got tons of money direct via carbon credits and indirect via consumer EV credits. They're actually in trouble for possibly lying about their range and getting more credits than they should have.

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