Finland prime minister again blames Apple for destroying national economy
In an interview discussing Finland's recent sovereign debt downgrade, Prime Minister Alexander Stubb said Apple's iPhone and iPad helped kill Nokia and the paper industry, both vital cogs in the country's economy.
Stubb told CNBC on Monday that Apple's popular iOS devices were contributors to the downfall of Finland's economy and the subsequent performance of its debt rating, which Standard & Poor's recently downgraded to AA+ from AAA. The prime minister said much the same in comments on Finland's troubled economy earlier this year.
Specifically, Stubb believes the iPhone toppled former mobile phone monolith Nokia, formerly the crown jewel of Finland's IT sector, while the iPad took out the forest and paper industry.
"A little bit paradoxically I guess one could say that the iPhone killed Nokia and the iPad killed the Finnish paper industry, but we'll make a comeback," Stubb said.
Finland is a major player in the European paper industry and serves as an important production site for companies UPM-Kymmene and Stora Enso. According to the prime minister, the rise of tablets like the iPad has dealt a significant blow to the overall paper industry.
Despite Finland's current economic woes, Stubb remains confident that both Nokia -- referred to as "the new Nokia" or Nokia Networks -- and forest and paper can turn the situation around. Nokia, which sold off its mobility division and associated branding trademarks to Microsoft for 7.2 billion last September, is reportedly showing gains in the telecommunications infrastructure sector.
Most recently, Nokia announced plans to expand availability of its "Here" mapping service on both iOS and Android platforms, bringing the navigation tool to wider swath of consumers.
Stubb told CNBC on Monday that Apple's popular iOS devices were contributors to the downfall of Finland's economy and the subsequent performance of its debt rating, which Standard & Poor's recently downgraded to AA+ from AAA. The prime minister said much the same in comments on Finland's troubled economy earlier this year.
Specifically, Stubb believes the iPhone toppled former mobile phone monolith Nokia, formerly the crown jewel of Finland's IT sector, while the iPad took out the forest and paper industry.
"A little bit paradoxically I guess one could say that the iPhone killed Nokia and the iPad killed the Finnish paper industry, but we'll make a comeback," Stubb said.
Finland is a major player in the European paper industry and serves as an important production site for companies UPM-Kymmene and Stora Enso. According to the prime minister, the rise of tablets like the iPad has dealt a significant blow to the overall paper industry.
Despite Finland's current economic woes, Stubb remains confident that both Nokia -- referred to as "the new Nokia" or Nokia Networks -- and forest and paper can turn the situation around. Nokia, which sold off its mobility division and associated branding trademarks to Microsoft for 7.2 billion last September, is reportedly showing gains in the telecommunications infrastructure sector.
Most recently, Nokia announced plans to expand availability of its "Here" mapping service on both iOS and Android platforms, bringing the navigation tool to wider swath of consumers.
Comments
Can't wait to see this used as a reason to downgrade the stock again. /s
I think it's more China, exporting cheaper paper, that killed their paper industry. As for Nokia, blame MS and Google more than Apple.
Sure, but I think it would be more accurate to say that other issues allowed Apple to come in and dominate new industries that they hadn't previously entered.
Blaming Apple is like being on Jeopardy and saying it's Ken Jennings fault that you didn't win when you lost because you simply weren't as effective as your opponent.
This guy is simply deluded...
While the iPad might be a huge success, changing the way many people perceive personal computers these days, it hardly replaced paper.
As for Nokia... well, while lots of people loved the hardware, Nokia has been selling the same kind of crap for around 20 years without any major innovation, especially software wise. Their downfall was just a matter of time.
All of this aside, I'm finding it kind of comical for this guy to speak of his country's IT industry, when apparently there is not much of an industry it if fares so badly without Nokia. This also shows how his government failed to invest and support tech startups over many, many years.
And what did Nokia's management do to ensure their success? Apparently not much.
If the end result is the same does it really matter how it's said? Nowhere does it seem like he meant Apple had malicious intentions, nor that they purposely set out to harm the Finnish economy.
Nokia killed Nokia and Microsoft conducted the burial.
(Much the same can be said about Blackberry formerly RIM.)
As for the paper industry, that was a long forecast trend that predated the iPad and is practically present in every paper market worldwide. (Yet paper prices are still are on the increase.)
I think the lesson here is obvious. Putting all of one's eggs in one basket is asking for trouble. South Korea should divide Samsung, or wait for the inevitable bad leader/rainy day/surprise competitor to bring down both the company and the economy that is so deeply attached to it. Diversification inside a single company is an insufficient and dellusional kind of protection.
Apple can take down a whole country's economy. I really do want Apple to take the blame for this.
Pass the high-fives, and vodka around the room get naked and celebrate.
Folks if you are still stuck in bend gate bliss-- this story should prove to you that Apple is the "hit" favorite..
What else is Apples fault? The war in Iraq? Syria?
Lol! Want some company ?
Apple can take down a whole country's economy. I really do want Apple to take the blame for this.
Pass the high-fives, and vodka around the room get naked and celebrate.
Maybe Finland is the country Apple could buy, move to, and carry out their political and economic will. I still think a country or collection of countries should be purchased and repurposed for the benefit of their owners. Heck, even the Google boys think the laws in the US are insane and they want their own island.
The real irony is that Stephen Elop made a windfall profit by driving Nokia into the ground and then selling it to his buddies at Microsoft.
Elop was a Microsoft mole. LOL.
Absolutely.
Interesting . . . in one of his Twitter account pictures, he's settling into his new office while using . . . wait for it . . . an iPad!!!
I would look it up on a translation website. There are several free ones nowadays. They tend not to be accurate, but for the fairly simple phrase you have, you should find a pretty accurate translation.
You posed a question and answered it.
Thanks for letting us into the debate.
What else is Apples fault? The war in Iraq? Syria?
President Obama.
Blame where blame is due: Nokia failed to react to a competitive threat.
On the upside, it gives the next generation of MBA students great fodder for SWOT analyses.