it’s like you believe you can tariff them expecting they won’t do the same. Why do you believe the rest of the world is not going to retaliate and why do you believe America can prosper without the rest of the world?
What’s the point of having a military alliance with countries you puts tariffs on? That’s unfriendly to say the least.
So many issues here. I’m sorry but you deeply misunderstand a lot of things about chip manufacturing.
These really, really, really are not laborers. They have nothing to do with labor. These engineers are effectively the same level of cutting edge as the scientists the US picked up after WW2. They are literally national resources - valuable pieces on the international game board.
No, they don’t get deported to economic rivals. Ever. They are not cheap labor. They are line-item assets in the military-industrial complex.
If we treated MIC line-item assets well, Lockheed wouldn’t be constantly battling their workers’ union. And these people brought in from Taiwan will enjoy almost none of the same protections, including no fucking way they’d be allowed to unionize.
… You really do not understand the nature of the game that’s being played here, and that’s okay. Feel free to keep thinking of world-class scientists as nothing more than indentured servants. Again, extremely xenophobic to dismiss their intelligence and personal volition, as if they’re just slaves waiting for america to import them.
I understand that’s how it should work. You don’t seem to understand how things actually work in a reality run by capitalists.
If society actually worked the way you seem to believe it does, it would be merit based and the richest people would be these world-class scientists. In reality, the richest and most successful people are those who can enslave and exploit those talented people.
You also seem to be accidentally injecting your own xenophobia and racism, because you keep bringing it back to that. As if you believe there’s some eugenics reason that people from Taiwan are talented chipmakers. I assure you, people from the states could perform just as well given the same opportunities and education investments here. They would rather import these people to treat as indentured slaves.
Lol again, they’re not labor. They don’t have anything to do with the traditional capitalist-labor relationships. I am well aware of the reality you describe and I can still tell you, it doesn’t apply here. Cutting edge chipmakers are the golden goose of the digital age. For best reference, see anything about the US’ extreme efforts in collecting rocket scientists after world war 2. Capitalists know a golden goose when they see one.
I’m gonna make this real simple for you: If you do not control capital, you are a laborer under capitalists. Yes, that includes white collar engineers and scientists- not simply blue collar assembly line workers.
We don’t even need to speak in hypotheticals. Just look at the engineers brought in for big tech under h1b’s. We have people here who can do this work. They would prefer to import the labor under one of these programs, because it makes them easier to exploit, and afraid to quit abusive employers.
You are so thoroughly indoctrinated, you can’t seem to separate capitalist propaganda from reality.
Nah. I get it, but no.
This is the one thing you keep missing. We don’t have people here who can do the work. Straight up. All the big players send their engineers to learn from TSMC for a reason. Of all the labor, of all the capital, these people are the exceptions to every rule.
Capitalists went to extreme lengths to win the nuclear arms race. They will go to the same lengths to keep winning the digital arms race too. These engineers will never be billionaires on their brains alone - because you’re right, they do not own the capital - but they do have a significantly higher value than any other laborers in the eyes of capitalists and therefore will never be deported to a rival.
So to clarify, you do not believe US engineers could ever do this? Why do you believe this is a skillset that only exists in Taiwan?
For the same reason the world believes it - because its true. They are the cutting edge. Other engineers can take over in the same way that other scientists could have taken over the Apollo program. It’s possible, but it takes time, money, effort, and luck, and in the meantime the other nation(s) will land on the moon first.
All of the other companies are actively trying to beat TSMC and losing. Computer chips are the rocket engines of the digital age.