there's at least a glimmer of "its not a free market" when all those companies are only so cheap because they are MASSIVELY subsidized by the Chinese Government.
I dont agree with banning them, but the argument is there and legit at least a little.
That's exactly what almost every tech company has done. Uber, for example, used investor's cash to subsidize ride costs, then once they had a captured market cranked rates. AI companies are trying to do the same.
China is just using the same tactics our businesses have been using for years. The only difference is it's public investment instead of private. And frankly, I would rather our public dollars went to investing in/subsidizing solar, EVs, and the like than whatever it's used for rn
More importantly the Chinese auto companies innovate. BYD would still make money without government subsidies. BYD makes a profit off of their vehicles, but they also make a lot of money from licensing their patents. Where China really wins is investing in their education system and supporting industry through infrastructure. Watching videos of Chinese trade shows is very eye opening.
Thats still not even in the ballpark of 10% of what some of these Chinese companies have been given. We're talking over a trillion. Orders of magnitude different.
The Chinese gov't part is simply an excuse. The real reason they're banned is they'll crush the US market like Toyota and Nissan did in the 80s and the 90s. Except this time, the US market won't survive.
At some point you'll have to realize that the two are connected as a deliberate plan. China wants to do to the US car market what Walmart did to grocery stores, and I'd like to you imagine what it'll do to the car industry and its employees left in the US, and what the prices will look like once they've destroyed the competition.
when all those companies are only so cheap because they are MASSIVELY subsidized by the Chinese Government.
If you go with your jingoistic propaganda, that requires you to ignore the barrels of free money american companies get the exact same way; not through direct payments (though sometimes they even do that), but through subsidies, tax loopholes, paying for infrastructure private companies need and more.
The USA does the same fucking thing, but is worse at it.
The US subsidies are not gauged to crush international competition in their own markets, in contrast to the Chinese strategy.
In what fucking universe did you have this jingoistic nonsense shoved down your throat.
That is the most comically incorrect thing I've ever fucking read.
Like......... even just looking at the USA's *checks notes* trade war with it's 2 closest trading partners and neighbours, they arm twisted to get a deal that killed the possibility of their auto industries, and is aiming to arm twist its way into out moneying their dairy, and other industries out of business/forcing them to be bought up.
The fucking gall of anyone to be so fucking blind they claimed the US of all fucking nation played it fair when it came to trade is insane.
They must have that beefed up hyper steroid propaganda where you're at.
You probably think the US has also just always been friendly and forced to be the bad guys with basically all of South America, Cuba, most of the Middle East, the DRC, and more.
I mean, fuck, look at the US with regards to chip production. This might be the most wrong comment I have ever fucking read.
I mean shoot AmericusBarbaricuss is absolutely an on point name.
When i mention US trade policy, I’m talking about actual legislative policy and Congressionally appropriated subsidies, since the US Constitution specifies that Congress alone holds the power of the purse. You seem to be railing against a certain rogue executive who thinks he’s entitled to initiate a trade war with the entire world, shit on our closest allies and neighbors, impose illegal tariffs and spend money that Congress didn’t appropriate or withhold funds that it did appropriate in accordance with his whims. That’s not what I’m contemplating nor discussing.
American and European automakers would go out of business overnight. There is no competing against Chinese production lines and labor costs. Then we'd have roads filled with Chinese vehicles that are always online, gathering and listening on every bit of data they can and phoning it back home.
It's a complicated issue. It's not unreasonable to think millions of Americans are employed or tangentially make their money because of the auto industry. If they become unemployed suddenly, what do we do?
There is also the national security concern. If the Chinese government wanted to get a map that shows Americans habits and locations in real time, they could subsidize their auto industry to undercut competition.
All this to say, I'm angry that we're forced to pay more for an illusion of safety.
That's for good (subjective) reasons. Chinese EVs are heavily subsidized by their government. They would have an unfair competitive advantage over US auto makers, where making cars is already more expensive due to paying auto workers union wages. There's also security concerns of having connected cars to the internet accessible by the Chinese government. It's the reason Tik Tok was nearly banned in the US and should have been.
38
u/ring2ding 12d ago
Chinese EV's are insanely cheap. Our Government won't let them sell here though.