What is Digg?106 Comments
- emkaysmith, on 04/13/2009, -2/+19It's called "the free market," and it's not a game that only Americans can play.
Stop worrying about "Western" industry. It's all "World" industry now. - Tyrghast, on 04/13/2009, -2/+18Is there a problem with your [insert any portable electronic]? It's made in China as well.
- Wrangler76, on 04/13/2009, -1/+12Comments like this are so irritating. Look on the FDA recall page and tell me you don't see dozens upon dozens of recalls of American-made products every year. Guess you have to avoid all American products too.
- jMichaelEdwards, on 06/14/2009, -8/+18It's time to invest in this company
- tidu, on 04/13/2009, -1/+10Capitalism scares me too /s
If our companies decided to add more cup holders and DVD players to our cars instead of you know, actually innovating, this wouldn't be worrying. It's a shame it turned out this way - LupeFiasco, on 04/13/2009, -1/+9You really think this will be the case for the rest of time?
Or is more realistic to think that these things will improve over time. Japanese cars used to be ***** apparently. I grew up only knowing that the Japanese made good cars, so it shows anyone can improve if given time. - eesquared, on 04/13/2009, -5/+13Eight years of Bush cronyism and support of the oil industry has left the USA in a weak position. China has proven that they can produce quality consumer products and so I would not be surprised to see them excel in clean technology areas such as cars. China has outpaced the USA in educating engineers for the past 5 years and as a result, they are making headway in innovation. ...Cheap educated skilled workers, a strong industrial infrastructure, unlimited hard currency and a growing engineering prowess, combined with government support will make China a major force in the next decade and beyond. We may find ourselves replacing our dependence on foreign oil to even greater dependence on Chinese clean technology...
- emkaysmith, on 04/13/2009, -2/+10I'm often amused by people (rednecks, mostly) who read the tag on some consumer item and sneer "Made in China. It figures." They've forgotten, or were never aware, or are too young to remember, when the same tone was used with "Made in Japan. They don't how to do nothing but copy American stuff!"
My stock portfolio includes a healthy chunk of Chinese companies. And Japanese. - JayTee44, on 04/13/2009, -1/+9Please. The big 3 American car companies give him nothing to invest in.
For every assembly line worker, there are 3 retirees.... you think that's competitive?
Hating a smart capitalist won't help us, ok? - atomicpoet, on 04/13/2009, -3/+10For now, most Chinese cars are a safety hazard. But that will all change.
- tonmil, on 04/14/2009, -2/+8Did you know that the number one selling brand of car in China is Buick? The Chinese love black Buicks. And, they are made in a Chinese plant that is 50% owned by GM.
- ProKid, on 04/14/2009, -0/+6Actually, they've been making great cars for some time now.
- alclone, on 04/13/2009, -0/+6What about salmonella outbreaks and the hepatitis C outbreaks in green onions? Why do you always blame China for crap? What about Americans who also design crappy cars that break down more often than their Japanese counterparts?
Stop being so naive kk ty - canchin, on 04/14/2009, -1/+7Just love reading the comments from know-nothings rambling on about China. You guys have just got to remember that the racist, anti-China propaganda spewed forth daily from American media and the American government is all designed to keep Americans in the well-established state of ignorance desired by the American government so that Americans wont know what a real government is like, or how safe a population can be when a government takes its responsibility seriously.
The last thing the American government wants Americans to do is ask those difficult questions such as: If China is so bad, why do they have a higher rate of literacy than they did 20 years ago while America has a lower rater of literacy? If China is so bad, why are the people safer walking the streets of the major cities than are people doing the same thing in America? If China is so bad, why do they have a growing economy while America is sinking into debt that China has to bail America out of?
The China government treats its citizens a far sight better than the American government treats its citizens and has done more in the last 20 years to improve the lives of Chinese citizens than has the American - or Canadian or British or Australian - government.
Go live in China for a few years and you'll find out the truth. Of course they still have some problems, but the interesting thing is that they work to solve those problems, quite unlike the American government that only wants to try and control the world and foist off the failed American system on those who don't want it. - Wrangler76, on 04/13/2009, -0/+6"Berkshire Hathaway first tried to buy 25% of BYD, but Wang turned down the offer. He wanted to be in business with Buffett - to enhance his brand and open doors in the U.S., he says - but he would not let go of more than 10% of BYD's stock. "This was a man who didn't want to sell his company," Buffett says. "That was a good sign.""
Haha, wow. Buffett got turned down?
Regardless of whether you hate China or electric cars, the story is pretty damn interesting.
"Wang Chuan-Fu started BYD (the letters are the initials of the company's Chinese name) in 1995 in Shenzhen, China. A chemist and government researcher, Wang raised some $300,000 from relatives, rented about 2,000 square meters of space, and set out to manufacture rechargeable batteries to compete with imports from Sony and Sanyo. By about 2000, BYD had become one of the world's largest manufacturers of cellphone batteries. "
"BYD has also begun selling a plug-in electric car with a backup gasoline engine, a move putting it ahead of GM, Nissan, and Toyota. BYD's plug-in, called the F3DM (for "dual mode"), goes farther on a single charge - 62 miles - than other electric vehicles and sells for about $22,000, less than the plug-in Prius and much-hyped Chevy Volt are expected to cost when they hit the market in late 2010. " - tonmil, on 04/13/2009, -0/+6The People's Republic of Capitalism
- nemomarlin, on 04/14/2009, -0/+6China is just reclaiming their place as the largest and most advance civilization in the world. China is awesome
- tonmil, on 04/13/2009, -1/+7Chinese made iPhone... tainted?
- monkeyrun, on 04/13/2009, -1/+6If they want to sell in the US, that must change.
- tonmil, on 04/13/2009, -1/+6We are in competition with China. Get used to it.
- briand559, on 04/14/2009, -0/+5That's two words.
- Vaiper, on 04/13/2009, -0/+5What's your solution? Because all I am hearing is whining. Oh, I know, why don't we just hit a magic "fix it" button? Damn, never mind...apparently those don't exist. Ha, look at me blab on about nothing. You were about to tell me your solution to the world's problems, weren't you? Can you make it quick? I have some crazy liberal agenda to participate in.
- inactive, on 04/13/2009, -0/+4Actually, Ford increased its market share last year - came out with one of the most celebrated hybrids - produces the most fuel efficient SUV - and refused the bailout loans from the feds.
so cram your prehistroic dino retard words up your ass - Target91, on 04/13/2009, -12/+16Chinese Toys: Tainted
Chinese Dog Food: Tainted
Chinese Dry Wall: Defective
Anyone else think their might be a problem with Chinese cars? - tonmil, on 04/13/2009, -0/+4Stolen? Really?
- invictus125, on 04/13/2009, -1/+5Wow... Great move, Mr. Buffett.
- james188foster, on 04/13/2009, -0/+4Check out China Vies to Be World’s Leader in Electric Cars http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/02/business/global/ ...
The Chinese and Warren Buffett are not stupid. They know they will never compete against Toyota, Honda, BMW, Porsche with the Internal Combustion Engine whether Petrol or Diesel. Hybrids are becoming more and more important. But the Japanese already have a foothold there. The Honda Insight, Toyota Prius, Camry, Lexus hybrids etc. Check this out http://auto.howstuffworks.com/10-top-selling-hybri ...
The future is the Electric Car from 2020 onwards. No-one has marked their terrority. It is all up for grabs. This is a fundamental change in technology akin to the switch from analogue to digital electronics. The old leaders didn't encourage the new technologies because it would have hurt their existing business. - Tyrghast, on 04/13/2009, -1/+4a stranglehold? You watch too much Fox
- dengzhi, on 04/14/2009, -0/+3yes, China is more capitalist than the US, so all you people calling China communist, stop it.
- Goph09, on 04/14/2009, -0/+3It never ceases to amaze me how gay frat brothers are for each other..
I guess that's what you get when you have to pay for friends - brstilson, on 04/13/2009, -0/+3When you pay rock-bottom prices, you're going to get crap no matter where it's made. I have a pair of Chinese-made Doc Martens I bought several years ago and paid $130 for, and you know what? They're still holding together like new. Not one thread has come loose and it's not falling apart. The $30 New Balance running shoes that were also made in China are a different story. Materials make a big difference. That's how a Macbook Pro made in China could last years without any major hardware problems, but the Sauder Woodworking TV Stand you bought from Wal-Mart 4 months ago is already warping in the middle.
- inactive, on 04/13/2009, -5/+8China: carbon launderer to the world.
- Demos27, on 04/15/2009, -0/+2Why don't you go invent a cheap electric car then that gets a million miles per charge...
And you gotta give the Chinese a chance. When Japanese cars were first introduced to the US and Europe, people had low expectations for them. Look at them now... - inactive, on 04/13/2009, -0/+2Says the abhorrent pollution present in Shanghai and Beijing ;) as well as the absolute lack of foresight in the mass purchasing of automobiles - cars that have been clogging the streets of beijing to unproductive levels.
- canchin, on 04/15/2009, -0/+2Not quite accurate. They haven't "gotten" anything, they have purchased products from American companies that purchase the lowest priced product they can purchase so they can maximize their profits with incredible markups - and then those same American companies don't bother to either test the products they are buying or offer to pay for higher quality product.
Mattel has already admitted the fault with the kid's toys was their own because they tried to coerce the China manufacturer into producing the same quality product they had received before but for a lower price than the increased cost of raw materials required and the manufacturer was left with no choice but to use lesser quality materials - and of course Mattel never bothered testing the toys either before or during production or before shipping.
That was Mattel's fault - conveniently hidden in the back pages of newspapers that few bother to read - but of course, since they came from China, then the whole country gets to be insulted to the glee of those who don't know any better. - emkaysmith, on 04/13/2009, -1/+3I don't like China's human rights record any more than anyone else, but I don't worry about it in the long run. As China becomes more and more economically and industrially advanced, it becomes more and more like the United States and Europe. Which is not necessarily a good thing.
- inactive, on 04/13/2009, -1/+3What do you mean by western industry?
- canchin, on 04/14/2009, -0/+2Exactly the point!
For just one example, after the Chinese currency increased in value, Mattel refused to accept the price increase needed to keep the quality at the level it had been, threatening to cancel their long-standing contract. This left the Chinese manufacturer with no options but to use cheaper raw material. Then, Mattel ignored the good-business-practice requirement of Due Diligence and didn't even bother testing their ordered toys before production was fully underway. If Mattel was a professional company, they would have found the problem with lead in the paint long before production had begun and racist scum-suckers like Jay Leno wouldn't be continuing insulting China because of Mattel's failures.
Even though Mattel admitted the fault was theirs, that didn't stop the racist anti-China propaganda though since that is endemic.
This is a condition that still continues, companies - especially American - refuse to accept that the increase of value of the Chinese currency that the braindead in the American government harped on could only have one result - an increase in manufacturing costs. Now, companies - in America especially, European companies are far more professional and understanding of the dynamics of international business as well as cause and effect - keep whining about wanting the same quality of product they bought in 2005 at the same prices they paid in 2005. The major cause of the problem has been the American companies, wanting to pay pennies for products they then sell for hundreds of dollars to the American citizen - and the blame falls on the manufacturer rather than the carpet-baggers in America that are the real problem...at least as "reported" in the American media. - Wrangler76, on 04/15/2009, -0/+2You seemed to be writing off the company, when they're clearly improving extremely quickly. That's what I mean. Why is it available only for fleet purchasers? I don't know. Why is the FCX Clarity only being sold to a small # of people? Because they want to test it and there's no infrastructure in place. I doubt there's that many buyers of expensive electric cars in China - even Toyota can't break the market. It's probably not profitable for them to sell it to the public, so they will only allow volume fleet purchases- once the testing is done, so they don't mess up Chinese reliability reputaiton even more, they can sell it abroad.
Do you have another theory about why it's only available for fleet purchase? I can'treally think of anything insidious lol - Wrangler76, on 04/14/2009, -0/+2What I meant was that he rejected the offer... for being too high. If the first offer was too low, I would understand what you're saying. This guy is the real deal, unlike your typical sellout CEO these days, he believes in his product and dream. After reading Jalopnik's report on him driving around the Detroit Auto Show INSIDE the convention centre, I'm really impressed.
- tonmil, on 04/13/2009, -0/+2China has embraced capitalism much more than the U.S. and Europe. That's why they have been able to lift 300m people out of poverty, which is a wonderful thing.
- Swivelstick, on 04/13/2009, -0/+2And which companies had those products manufactured to their (poor) specifications to save a few cents?
- Norumeni, on 04/14/2009, -1/+2I believe it's already too late for that...
- zeth006, on 06/01/2009, -0/+1That's what I love about UAW rednecks. Their illogical way of looking at market economics and capitalism in general amazes me. It's wonder *****'s hitting the fan with GM.
- zeth006, on 06/01/2009, -0/+1Where does that put the US?
- fasda, on 04/14/2009, -4/+5from what I've seen on toxic metal and bile content of Chinese products I don't believe that for a second
- user500, on 04/14/2009, -0/+1second only to the throwing away of the AAA credit rating
- glaz, on 04/14/2009, -1/+2The conscious spirit of covert resistance within the subordinate chinese masses will grow exponentially in relation to the establishment of China as a proper global superpower. China is unstable and international wealth created as a result of the enslavery of the Chinese people WILL result in a massive world-changing uprising. At least western capitalism has some morally justifiable reciprocal basis. China can only subdue its masses for so long. Boom and bust at a level unimaginable in the western world.
- insanebrain, on 04/14/2009, -0/+1[fox mode]
BE AFRAID. . VERY AFRAID !!!
[/fox mode] - canchin, on 04/15/2009, -0/+1The bastardized version of democracy practiced in the States doesn't even work with only 300 million people. The proponents of China throwing away what is working in China and blindly accepting a failed model wholesale from another country just can't seem to stand the fact that China is succeeding while other countries are failing so miserably.
Can you direct me to a "REAL" report of Chinese citizens "Rioting in the streets" please? And, since I've lived here for 20 years, can you also direct me to those reports to which you infer with your comment "much like they always have?" I'm really curious because I can't remember seeing - in the last 6 months - more than some disgruntled workers being cheated out of pay by some Hong Kong and Taiwan factory owners that skipped town with the money.
China isn't perfect, but at least China is working to improve. America certainly isn't perfect, but the problem is America isn't working to improve, just working to keep the backward status quo intact.
And a final - China does have a version of democracy, the Chinese version. There are elections, votes, candidates, all kinds of examples, but it isn't the failed bastardized version used in America accepted wholesale, China is testing all the parts of the idea and keeping what is relevant to China and discarding what is useless...such as allowing uneducated people to be part of any process that effects the nation and keeping cultists out of the process all together. America should try it sometime, it might improve things in the States. -
Show 51 - 100 of 107 discussions
Browsing Digg on your phone just got easier with our enhancements to the 
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is