Um…why did Zelda turn purple. I don’t get it.

. . (I’m joking, I know who is Zelda).

I used to work for Wells Fargo and during the 2008 crash, Wells Fargo branches had frequent protests.

I quit a few months after that. I didn’t want to work for the baddies.

Are hotels parasites too? When you lease a car, are the dealers parasites? How about short term rentals for traveling nurses. Are those parasites too?

If I own a house and have roommates, am I a parasite too?

Grow up man. Renting a home has advantages that people like me pay for.

The place I’m renting is in an amazing area that I would never be able to afford. My son goes to school in a nicer, safer area.

I can move out whenever I want to without worrying about selling my place.

When something breaks, 1 phone call and my issue is fixed.

I pay less than a mortgage and the money I save, I get to diversity my retirement/investment. Instead of dumping my entire asset in a home.

Taiwan is a great country. The government prioritizes small businesses. There are big businesses, but the country is setup to handle small local businesses, not big business.

We are still a young democracy (since 1997) so it hasn’t been ruined by lobbyist and big corp.

Moved to Taiwan during the first Trump presidency. I helped 3 other friends come here. The brain drain has been happening.

Invites all around! Remind me in 20 years.

Yes, there are efficiencies since all the tech is pretty close, but that pales in comparison to the sheer dollars injected into the industries. 231 billion dollars. Compare that to the 2nd closest investment into a car manufacturer which is the USA at 30 billion.

Each one of these new 500+ car manufacturers produced cars at a loss. Not because efficiencies. Because of subsidies. In some cases, not even sold at all. https://youtu.be/vplPmxVRcnk

Here in Taiwan, we get unfiltered China news.

Competition is good. I welcome Kevin to try again.

Give it to Taiwan too.

I remembered back in the day, there was a virus where a small cat appeared on the screen and chase your mouse cursor. If it caught your mouse cursor, the computer would crash. It did no other damage. It was great fun.

Evidence of what? That he is human?

So much to unpack here but I’ll do my best to address everything you’re saying here.

1- Chinese cars can’t compete in price: yes because China has been dumping subsidies into the market, inflating the supply. China dumped 231 billion dollars into EVs from 2009 to 2023. Over 500 electric car brands were created due to this injection. There is only are less than 100 left after China stopped the subsidies.

2- The Chinese EV are a superior product: which one of the 500 car companies are you referring to? outside ofthe top China brands (Geely, BYD), they all sorta suck.

China is doing is state sponsored “dumping”. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumping_(pricing_policy) which artificially reduces prices to gain market share and has a negative effect on the industry. Every country in the world, not just the US, has an anti dumping policy, including China.

While we the consumer would love to spend pennies on the dollar for an electric cars, the effect is only temporary and when we start losing car companies due to this practice, prices always, ALWAYS, are higher after we lose competition.

Anti dumping policies is not hindering free market. The second you inject 231 billion dollars of government subsidies into an industry, is the second it no longer becomes a free market.

Yes, the USA has also has given subsidies. In total about 30 billion dollars. A drop in the bucket on the 231 billion the CCP has injected.

I live in Taiwan and we call those China made cars tofu cars. Their domestic cars are terrible. So many of them are going out of business because the the CCP lowered down the subsidies.

I won’t be caught dead in one.

Yes, we get to prioritize USA industries vs China’s. I’m down for that.

I would too, but you have to understand why the USA is blocking these cars from coming in. The cost of these cheap EVs are not based off of supply and demand. Its not even this cheap because of effectiveness or efficiencies. Its from the CCP subsidies. The CCP wants to dump on the competition in efforts to kill off anyone making a car, then start jacking up the price after they have market share.

Go on…

Checked the username, can confirm. Very annoying.