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this post was submitted on 01 Jul 2024
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I think the tariffs are because the Chinese government seems to be pumping money into the electric car industry so they can keep prices artificially low and corner the market, then use their market position to extort other countries into giving in to their totalitarian politics. The more dependence we have on China, the more power the CCP wields internationally.
So why aren't other governments doing something similar?
Our government (Australia) basically told the last couple of brands that manufactured locally to piss off. So they did. So now we have literally zero local manufacturers.
I think most western governments aren't totalitarian dictatorships that are willing to burn through public funds in order to gain geopolitical advantages over their adversaries.
Do note that if China gains a market advantage, the price will likely go up to reflect the real cost of production.
Please seek medical attention for your lack of oxygen.
What geopolitical advantages do electric vehicles pose over, say, 600+ military bases in 80 countries? How much money is China spending subsidizing EVs as compared to the USA subsidizing their own fossil fuel system? How much money is the US "burning" to produce, for example, one fighter jet project?
How is China "totalitarian" when subsidizing green technology is literally what every country has committed to doing at every climate summit, when Western citizens are demanding their governments subsidize EVs and other green tech, when people are literally protesting and putting their bodies on the line for this?
At every turn, your comment is so wrong it's a wonder you can hit send and not realize how contradictory your position is.
Lol. Lmao even. The biggest military spenders on the planet are saying this. US alone spends more on the military than next 7-9 countries combined. Western governments also heavily subsidised their agriculture to fuck with food markets around the world. During corona times iirc the us forgave literal trillions in loans to business owners. Western governments also throw around sanctions (Cuba) to bully any country that doesn't bend the knee to their totalitarian rule.
All western governments are dictatorships of capital. Meanwhile, China is an actual democracy, unlike the shithole you're living in. Don't take my word for it though. Every western study conducted on the subject confirms this.
US government does plenty of subsidies, not sure why you think China shouldn't do the same. The more power CPC wields internationally the less power burger empire wields. Seems like a win-win to me.
We can literally do a second round of Cash for Clunkers and create American EV demand
I think we need more govt subsidies to green tech and less subsidies to the fossil industry, i don't care if it's all a big 8d chess move to make us all speak Mandarin Chinese, the important bit is not dying rn.
China is definitely pumping money into its manufacturing capabilities, but I don't think cornering the international market is why.
What appears to be happening is that local officials pushed an industrial development policy to make economic numbers go up. Some provinces got to the point of building factories and leasing them out to companies for that sweet economic growth.
The Chinese national government is trying to find a market for this since it can't afford for all Chinese local investment to be bad. Developing countries don't have the funds for the cheap solar output and the other industrialized nations are putting up trade barriers since they are running massive trade deficits with China already.