• ShittyBeatlesFCPres@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    14
    arrow-down
    3
    ·
    11 months ago

    I’d like to know what capabilities they’re trying to block too. All of the chip sanctions seem scattershot, easy to evade, and destined to backfire in the long run (by forcing China to invest heavily in domestic production). But even if the sanctions work, what are we trying to block?

    I’ve seen speculation about the military applications but half of them just sound good to me. Like, maybe China’s military having more accurate missiles sounds bad to the Pentagon but I’m a civilian. I want all the weapons to be precisely accurate. Hell, I wish they’d teach gang members how to aim so I don’t have to worry about the news referring to me as an “innocent bystander.”

    • TimeSquirrel@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      12
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      11 months ago

      But even if the sanctions work, what are we trying to block?

      The US is trying to kneecap China before they become a superpower on par with themselves.

      • ShittyBeatlesFCPres@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        arrow-down
        5
        ·
        11 months ago

        I imagine this will only undermine that goal. If this trade war is about stupid “tough on China”political posturing, it’s obviously going to backfire. If there really is some amazing national defense reason to limit chip exports, China will obviously respond by investing heavily in R&D and domestic production capacity. In ten years, we’ll probably be doing protectionism the other way to protect Nvidia from new Chinese competitors.

        From an economics standpoint, it’s backwards. If anything, China should be the one limiting chip imports to protect their upstart chip makers and give them space to catch up. We’re just doing an “infant industry” strategy for them. And all for vague “national security” reasons.