This is not a moral issue for Spielberg. He was embarassed into quitting.

echosyst on February 12, 2008 at 7:51 PM

Enlightened /s

- The Cat

right2bright on February 13, 2008 at 1:31 AM

I am not saying they are not corrupt. But your facts are a bit off too. Their currency is not, and has never been 80cents to the dollar. Try 12 cents to our dollar, recently rising a little bit.

As far as pollution, you are correct–in most big cities, but it depends where you are. I live in a city of about 5 million people, and the air is clear and the sky is blue. But Beijing…yeah, nasty. It just depends where you are. Some of the pollution is caused by foreign factories too, here for the cheaper labor. China desperately wants all the income from foreign companies it can get. They aren’t to the point financially that they can have a conscience about the environment like we do. All they care about right now is economics. The environment gets lip service, but no action.

Do you mean prices for local people being cheaper? If so, in some cases you are correct, but think about the lack of shipping costs. If it is made here, they don’t have to tack on the shipping costs, so of course that will be cheaper. As far as electronics or cars go, they are not much if any cheaper than in the US. Chinese electronics may be cheaper here, but that is because they are very poor quality.

The reason US companies keep doing business with China is not because of government subsidies (well, it could be part of the reason, I couldn’t say), but the main reason is because China has 1.3 billion people, so wages are low, and government restrictions are low. Our government has restricted our companies so much that it costs too much to open a factory in America. China is filling the gap caused by our singular mission to save the environment, and other causes that developing countries don’t have the desire to take on.

There are lots of rich people in China now, and tons of poor people. BMWs are a common sight, as are beggars on the streets.

As far as trade agreements, yes. They are totally corrupt. Hollywood movies are an example. They have a crackdown on pirate movies for TV cameras, but the next day you can go in I buy anything you want for about $.90 US. Counterfeit name brands are everywhere. Nikes are not Nikes, North Face is not North Face. That is why it is cheaper. It may look real, but it isn’t.

My point is not to defend the Chinese government. It is just to say that our government has created the environment for China’s behavior. We enter agreements and play by the rules, but it doesn’t mean other nations are. Whatever happened to “trust but verify?” We need to hold people accountable for stiffing us. They are taking advantage of opportunities that we give them. We need to play tough if we want to win. Nobody will hand it to us. We expect them to play fair, but when we find out they aren’t, there are no consequences. What’s up with that?

p40tiger on February 12, 2008 at 9:20 PM

So when they want to build a highway, they just take your house. Or, and you have seen this if you live there, take part of their house, if it is not totally in the right of way.
When you look at the air, and you can see the air, unbelievable pollution.
The government props up the currency, hardly a free market. Any thing you want to buy in the world for manufacturing (that is as part of a manufactured part), and they will sell you the same thing for 80% of what you pay. Clearly against all trade agreements, their currency cannot be tied to our dollar. But for decades it was 80cent on our dollar.
It only appears to be a “free market”, but they set the price by being 20% under the market, no matter what it costs them. Think about it, they would buy wood from us, ship it over to them, manufacture a wood desk, and ship it back (at about 8 times the cube)and under cut our manufacturing. when you figure wages are maybe 18-22% of the cost of case goods, 75% material costs, how do they sell it for 1/2 the price?…government subsidy, that’s how.

He is also pissed that the Chinese have stolen hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties owed to him through their rampant piracy of his intellectual property rights.
profitsbeard on February 12, 2008 at 8:26 PM

Like the average Chinese person would have money to throw away on Hollywood turds.

p40tiger on February 12,2008 at 8:39PM.

p40tiger(Flying Tiger):Ssssshhhhhhhhhhh,walls have ears!Hehe

much to the dismay of Chinese officials who have complained that the Games were being politicized.

Poor effing idiots, hundreds of thousands of people are being slaughtered, and they’re worried about the stupid game being politicized. F em. Good for Speilberg.

Even as we speak, I’m sitting in the PRC reading Hot Air. I can read Fox News, CNN, and nearly any site I want to go to. I am blocked if I want to look at Wikipedia, and sometimes I can’t go to BBC.

But, is it really that much of a loss? Wikipedia and the BBC? Maybe these ChiComs are on to something? haha

p40tiger on February 12, 2008 at 8:39 PM

This is weak.

Think about it. Our own government is a bureaucratic nightmare of inefficiency. Now think of the bureaucracy involved in a socialist state–inefficiency defined. They don’t control people’s thoughts, and they don’t care what people do in private (as long as they don’t feel threatened). If you think China is like what we hear about North Korea, you are horribly mistaken.

But, is it really that much of a loss? Wikipedia and the BBC? Maybe these ChiComs are on to something? haha

p40tiger on February 12, 2008 at 8:39 PM

Count your kidneys. lol

But what is wrong with China? hey what is internet censorship and selling a few dissident kidneys between friends?

TheSitRep on February 12, 2008 at 8:34 PM

Even as we speak, I’m sitting in the PRC reading Hot Air. I can read Fox News, CNN, and nearly any site I want to go to. I am blocked if I want to look at Wikipedia, and sometimes I can’t go to BBC.

But, is it really that much of a loss? Wikipedia and the BBC? Maybe these ChiComs are on to something? haha

China is a den of thieves.

Supported by their prostrate pimps in the West.

At least one man won’t play along.

Kudos, Steven.

To the Max!

I’m happy about Spielberg.
Now let’s see what reporters do when they are over there.