22july2013

There's a new TV show called What If?... and sometimes I wonder What If Jobs didn't die. But Cook hasn't done badly.

For some reason it makes me recall a musician who left his very expensive violin in a running expensive car. Some thief stole the car with the violin inside it. The musician appealed to the thief in the news by saying, "You can keep the car, just return the violin." When the thief heard that the violin was worth ten expensive cars, he returned the car instead of the violin. Then the thief tried to sell the violin, but found out that he couldn't sell it because nobody would buy it since it would be instantly recognizable as stolen by anyone qualified to play it. So he returned the violin, too, and walked away with nothing.

Unlike expensive artwork, an expensive musical instrument can't be appreciated by anyone who doesn't know how to play it.

GeorgeBMac said:

JackyChan said:

sflocal said:

I find it ironic that the Chinese government demands strict data privacy from Chinese companies, yet turns right around and essentially breaches all of that to spy on its own citizens, not to mention the entire world.

Precisely. The irony here is overwhelming. 

Personally, I trust government more than I trust any private company run for profit and at the whim of its owner.

Whether Communist or Democratic, the job of government is to assure a safe, stable and secure society. 

Although I like the fact that you trust your capitalist government, I must assert that communism <> capitalism. E.g., Putin has earned (or rather stolen) $200 Billion during his time as president, (and his cronies probably earned similar amounts) while Trump, for comparison, earned nothing, because he gave all his presidential income to charity. If Trump or Biden was siphoning $200B, you would call for either of them to be impeached.

I think the real reason for this new law in China is so that the CCP can say to a Chinese business, "We'll turn a blind eye to your data theft if you let us take a copy of the data." In other words, this law actually does give the CCP more power.

crowley said:

These so-called strong men autocracies really are the biggest bunch of overly sensitive wussies you could imagine, and they've got no answers other than a boot.  Can't compete, so send in the thugs to oppress instead.  Pathetic.

There's a first for everything. I agree with you.

Someone should make a "freedom list" of companies that avoid doing business with thugs and dictators, just like some people do to protect the environment. I would buy more from those companies.

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