• wildbus8979@sh.itjust.works
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    23 hours ago

    Alternatively we could start subsiding local car makers

    We have been. Bailout after bailout. For the longest fucking time, and have had insane trade rules and tarrigs in place for decades and decades. I’d argue this is what another country finally being able to play on a level playing field.

    • 418_im_a_teapot@sh.itjust.works
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      16 hours ago

      Is it a level playing field? In China workers rights are pretty non-existent and there’s no OSHA equivalent, at least not to the degree we have in the US. Then add in government subsidies, lower worker pay, reduced R&D costs because they pilfered the engineering from a US company, and you end up with a very lopsided market.

      To be clear, I am in no way defending the US auto industry. They have little customer loyalty for a reason – low quality, overpriced, subscription dependent vehicles with terrible warranties, expensive service requirements, and invasive telemetry. They need more competition to force them to make more consumer-friendly decisions, but China is hardly a fair competitor.

      • wildbus8979@sh.itjust.works
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        7 hours ago

        In China workers rights are pretty non-existent and there’s no OSHA equivalent, at least not to the degree we have in the US

        How much maternity leave d’you get in the US? Cause in China it’s a minimum of 90 days up to 180. And an extra 15~30 days of pat leave. Mandatory paid holiday? US: 0 China: 11. Sick leave? US: 0 China: months (at reduced rate). Vacation? US: 0, China: 1 to 3 weeks.

        An employer that fails to allow an employee to take annual leave must pay that employee 300% of the employee’s daily wages for each unused vacation day

        The work sfatey certainly remains an issue, like any developing country, but things are rapidly improving.

        Efforts at work safety shall be oriented around people and reflect the principle of people first and life first, with top priority given to people’s life safety. The philosophy of safe development shall be adhered to and the principles of safety first, prevention as the main target as well as comprehensive administration shall be followed to forestall and resolve major safety risks at the source.

        http://en.npc.gov.cn.cdurl.cn/2021-06/10/c_786248.htm

        Things aren’t all roses in China, but y’all have to get off of your high horse when you know fuck all other than bland ass propaganda.

    • CosmoNova@lemmy.world
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      20 hours ago

      You can‘t compare a bailout with an aggressive offensive. Especially since western car makers and many other manufacturers outsourced to China in the process. There are few to no parallels to be drawn here. A more accurate, albeit tasteless comparison would be the China opium wars. Because that‘s essentially what they‘re aiming to do: Making us addicts to their product.

    • Optional@lemmy.world
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      21 hours ago

      After the auto industry intentionally killed public transport.

      The fact that one of the most powerful monopolies in the world went bankrupt and was forced to be bailed out by taxpayers more than once should really be a disqualifier for any future endeavors.

      • witchybitchy@lemmy.world
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        17 hours ago

        you accidentally forget to pay ur credit card minimum for one month and you’re docked so many credit score points that you’re ineligible for being given a loan.

        but we bail out these megacorps time and again and just keep letting them operate like nothing’s amiss

        shit’s borked (intentionally, to favor those with means)