News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:U.S. companies banned from selling components to ZTE by 2f89u23 on Monday April 16, 2018 @02:17PM (#16851363)
> I'm all for leveling the playing field

No you're not, or you'd realize you're advocating a zero sum game

It's the same as advocating for more women and minorities in industry; white men lose. Some other side will lose, because our economy doesn't operate on "even playing fields."

It operates on "I have advantage and must protect it." The rich have an advantage of being rich and can sell some argument about knowing how to use their leverage to build companies to put people to work.

USA had "The rest of the world is a smoking crater." after WW2

China has "No one else has a manufacturing base for electronics like we do."

Advocating for a level playing field would be like universal healthcare, and not being forced trade away to the rich elite our creative endeavors for basic survival.

You're peddling disingenuous political correctness that ignores physical reality.

Re:U.S. companies banned from selling components to ZTE by forapurpose on Monday April 16, 2018 @06:25PM (#16853405)
That's incorrect. Economics is not a zero sum game; in fact the better others do, the better off you are: You are much better off running a business, working, or just living unemployed in a neighborhood, city, country, or world full of wealthy, free people than you are where the others are poor and oppressed.

And that's only if you are a completely selfish sociopath and care nothing for the welfare of others. If you are a healthy person who does care about others (which is a foundation of democracy - the belief that others should get a vote equal to your own), all the more reason for them to be free and prosperous too.

U.S. foreign policy has long supported the freedom and prosperity of others, in large part for that reason. (Yes, there are many exceptions to that policy; I'm just talking about economics. EDIT: And yes, there are many exceptions to the economic policy too.)

Re:U.S. companies banned from selling components to ZTE by jacquesm on Monday April 16, 2018 @02:33PM (#16851515)
> It's the same as advocating for more women and minorities in industry; white men lose.

With lines like that I'm sure you'll make lots of friends here. /s

The world economy has profited handily from globalism at the same time that it has concentrated power and has made a very few people insanely rich.

If we want to get to a more sustainable model for the longer term then we will have to forego short term profits and our hunt for the cheapest priced items. It's an open problem on whether or not capitalism combined with democracies and the power of money in politics is sustainable or not. I'd bet against it, but time will tell.