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US Tech Giants Increasingly Partner With Military-Connected Chinese Companies
theodp writes: The New York Times reports that analysts and officials in the American military community are increasingly examining a recent trend among U.S. tech companies of forming new partnerships with Chinese firms that have ties to the Chinese military. Critics are concerned that the growing number of such deals could inadvertently improve the fundamental technology capabilities of the Chinese military — or worse, harm United States national security. "One Chinese technology company receives crucial technical guidance from a former People's Liberation Army rear admiral," notes the Times. "Another company developed the electronics on China's first atomic bomb. A third sells technology to China's air-to-air missile research academy. Their ties to the Chinese military run deep, and they all have something else in common: Each Chinese company counts one of America's tech giants — IBM, Cisco Systems or Microsoft — as a partner." A blurring of the lines among many companies that supply military and commercial technology makes it difficult to know what cooperation might result in technology ultimately being used by China's military. "The Chinese companies are required to do the best for their government. American companies say they are only answerable to their shareholders," said James McGregor of the consulting firm Apco Worldwide. "So who is looking out for the United States?"
Multinationals like IBM and Oracle are only "American" when they are bidding on Government contracts.
And when Chinese tech companies are forming partnerships with American firms that have ties to the American military, critics complain that they will get crucial technology and sneak in backdoors, which could inadvertently improve the fundamental technology capabilities of the Chinese military — or worse, harm United States national security.
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Military-Connected US Tech Giants Increasingly Partner With Military-Connected Chinese Companies
There, fixed that headline for you.
Aside from making the USA completely dependent on Chinese hardware, and giving away every single military secret or giving the Chinese the power to put in electronic backdoors in everything so as to neutralize any digital device depending on radio...
But corporations, and those who run them have no "country" other than money, and that country keeps them comfortable anywhere. They don't even care who wins the wars, as long at the profits keep rolling in.
Please do not read this sig. Thank you.
The Chinese will soon have the cost of the F-35 reduced to $2.7 million (even less if ordered in quantities of 3 or more) and free shipping!
I remember back in the 90s, when Loral sold US missile and space technology to the Chinese, after spending six to seven figures on key political figures and receiving waivers.
Donors want favors, politicians want money, it's a symbiotic relationship (politicians shake down donors, donors view it as an investment/protection money) which has become more and more overt over the years. It undermines the rule of law of course, and leads to corruption, but as long as politicians keep getting re-elected and donors keep getting what they want, the system will continue.
The belief is that people do in fact generally tend to try to take care of themselves and their families, to "be selfish". Since that isn't going to change, when making decisions about economic systems it's wise to recognize that fact and use it to your advantage. A simple example:
A successful system requires that people work.
People want to have money.
Therefore, a system in which people get money by working is more likely to be successful.
That's technically not a -capitalist- view, it's a liberty view. Strictly speaking, capitalism is something very specific and not actually that closely related. Capitalism recognizes that:
A successful economy requires investment (ships, factories, etc). This is called CAPITAL.
Capital invested may be lost, and in any event it's unavailable for other use so long as it is invested.
Therefore, whomever puts aside their own money and rather thean spending it, invests it into capital (401k) fairly should share in the rewards generated by their investment.
That's capitalism, very simple. The opposite view is that the elite class should forcefully take your money to invest in capital, take the rewards of investment themselves, then spread those out as they see fit. That's communism. Then you have the option to mix the two, whuch is called socialism.
"Capital invested may be lost, and in any event it's unavailable for other use so long as it is invested."
I wish that were true. But have you heard of the word "collateral", not as in collateral damage, but as in the thing that you put in your loan application? Yes, it's possible to use the same money in more than one investment. The financial system is really a massive Ponzi scheme until the people start panicking and try to cash out.