Comments on: Chinese Unocal?

By: The R Man

The R Man — Sat, 25 Jun 2005 04:37:30 +0000

I do not trust the Red Chinese at all-nuke them ’til they glow would be my driving policy, were I Emperor of the Current American Police State, but like so many of us, I buy their cheap crap at Wal-Mart and elsewhere due to the low prices. But there is something very wrong about a fundamentally anti-freedom regime that represents the antithesis of the American way, despite their current embrace of capitalism, running the Panama Canal or a major American oil company.

The R Man

By: Scott Chaffin

Scott Chaffin — Fri, 24 Jun 2005 19:01:24 +0000

As I continue to ponder this with my gigantic-but-lugubrious brain, the question turns to this: CNOOC isn’t a “citizens of China” outfit. It’s a Chicom outfit, government-owned and -operated, something on the lines of 70%.

I’m pretty much on the verge of saying this: if I were a shareholder in Unocal, there ain’t no way I turn my company over to Commies. No way, no how, no matter how good they are at selling textiles. Commies don’t have my best interests in the forefront of their brains. But no one ever accused the American stock market of being horribly rational…I expect most will look at the strike price and knock each other down trying to get their dough.

No govt. intervention required or desired, either. I wasn’t necessarily saying that to begin with, but just to make sure it’s clear.

By: charles austin

charles austin — Fri, 24 Jun 2005 18:30:34 +0000

Aside from the free trade angle, are we on moral high ground to buy goods from China with dollars and then turn around and repudiate the worth of the dollars becuase the Chinese now want to spend them?

This is rank populist protectionism. I don’t like the PRC any more than the next free trader, but that’s not relaly the point now is it? Should we disallow foreign investment by citizens of France, who arguably are more detrimental to America than citizens of China?

By: Kara Ruffin

Kara Ruffin — Fri, 24 Jun 2005 16:35:41 +0000

Thanks for your blog! It is a great outlet from a long day at work!

Keep spreading the good word!!!

– Kara

By: Eric

Eric — Thu, 23 Jun 2005 22:15:11 +0000

I dunno…the thought of being able to someday nationalize someone else’s assets for a change has a certain je ne se quois to it!

By: Scott Chaffin

Scott Chaffin — Thu, 23 Jun 2005 15:44:15 +0000

Which we had already kicked Japan’s and Germany’s ass quite hard 30 years prior, and rebuilt their societies. Even had a Japanese constitution that looked like ours, as much as possible. Plus, a history of market-based economic and political philosophy. Japan, not so much, but some, right?

Not nearly so with China.

I’m trying hard not to be xenophobic, so keep convincing me. Something about state-owned industries from Red China firmly planted in capitalist America gives me the willies, though.

By: kevin whited

kevin whited — Thu, 23 Jun 2005 15:11:07 +0000

Those darn Chinese took over Thinkpads too, damn them!

Look, lots of people had the same reaction to the Japanese (and to a less extent, the Germans) foreign investments in the US in the 80s and early 90s.

Does anybody remember those days, and the dire predictions?

Have any of those dire predictions come true?

Just asking.