Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

EU and west finally TRYING to protect their market the way China is doing it all the time. They tax, ban, espionage everything beneficial to their society.

China would do it without a blink.



Well if I'm from EU and if I know my government doesn't do espionage and all sorts of nasty things, I'd really be very worried. They (the government and its agencies) are supposed to do the nasty jobs, and it is very incompetent if they don't do so.


The West has not been trying to protect their market? What do you thing those wars have been all about?

Freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?


“Protect their market” - And yet the U.S. and Europe are richer than ever.

It’s hilarious seeing the US oligarchs distracting from the fact that they’ve transferred massive amounts of wealth from the broader society to themselves by blaming every one else.

There is a fair argument to protect strategic industries and actions like these are probably needed, but let’s not pretend the “markets” are at risk because of anything China is doing, which is essentially giving Americans and Europeans actual stuff in return for pieces of paper.


If you think the west will remain the dominant force it has been without access to superior technology in business and metallurgy in military and manufacturing, I’d like some of what you’re smoking


China liberalized their economy to compete with Western economies, showing their leaders don’t really believe in communism.

And the US and Europe are moving towards command economies to keep up with China, showing their politicians don’t really believe in liberalism.


Liberalized? You mean "you can come here as long as I can copy/paste your products and push you out of business"?

That's what liberal economies are about, right. :)


No, I mean they did things like privatized state businesses, allowed entrepreneurs to start their own businesses, and created special economic zones.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia%E2%80%93Timor-Leste_...

Uh, you gotta understand that China has never been alone.


They would, they do and they did it. But we called them communists for doing so. ;)


communism is actually exactly the opposite of that. this is rutheless capitalism 101 from china vs religious left/right fights of the west boosted by not in my backyard individualism.

West lived for too long for too good, to start believe that they can do whatever, and live good.


Good times (60's economy) create weak men (boomers). Weak men create hard times (offshoring everything to china)

Time to see if hard times will make strong men.


Comrade Karremans it is then…


> But we called them communists for doing so. ;)

What?

They view themselves as communists. Moreover, all these policies have nothing to do with communism.


Economic Nationalism is not Communism by any sense. Nor is responding to mercantilism.

But the CCP explicitly considers themselves Marxism-Leninism with and their internal beliefs and government structure is structurally follows that.

We consider them Communists and they consider themselves Communist. They do not consider us Communist and we don't either.

You're trying to create a false conflation here and stir division. I'm interested in whose interests comments like yours really reflect. It's certainly not the truth.


> the CCP explicitly considers themselves Marxism-Leninism with and their internal beliefs and government structure is structurally follows that.

> they consider themselves Communist. They do not consider us Communist.

And you know all this because of your deep study, in the original language of course, of the CPC, their internal factions, and the collected writings in their leading policy journals, I assume, yes?

Or dare I even ask did you get this from some 250 word limit editorial in the "wall street journal"?


> And you know all this because of your deep study, in the original language of course, of the CPC, their internal factions, and the collected writings in their leading policy journals, I assume, yes?

Perhaps not original language, but per Qiushi, the CPCs theoretical journal on their ideology, an official[translation of a speech by Xi Xinping](https://en.qstheory.cn/2025-07/28/c_1110292.htm):

> Marxist ideas and theories are wide-ranging and profound and maintain relevance through constant study. In the new era, we Chinese Communists still need to study Karl Marx, study and practice Marxism, and continually draw on its powerful knowledge and theories. In this way, we will uphold and develop Chinese socialism in the new era with more resolve, confidence and wisdom. It will support the coordinated advance of the Five-sphere Integrated Plan and the Four-pronged Comprehensive Strategy and ensure that we always stay the course towards national rejuvenation as we break the waves and sail ahead.

If it says its a duck...


You can call it Economic nationalism all you want, but these are similar principles that were applied in authoritarian states like in Fascist/Nazi times.

I don't care if they are Communists - we call them like that to say "they're authoritarian", however, we're failing to see where we (West) are getting. In order to "defend" our democracy we're becoming increasingly like them.

To think that all that it takes would be to change our lifestyle NOT to buy anymore 5 pairs of low quality shoes per year or so, but 1 or 2 good ones, maybe made by your neighbour. Which is exactly how I grew up with, until someone told us that we need to buy a load of cheap crap, otherwise you're not cool.


> You can call it Economic nationalism all you want, but these are similar principles that were applied in authoritarian states like in Fascist/Nazi times.

Simply because economic nationalism is a characteristic of authoritarian state and has been a characteristic of fascist (Italian fascism, especially) and Nazis does not imply economic nationalism is intrinsically authoritarian fascist.

America for much of its history was protectionist. Europe remains a bloc intended to protect local industries characteristic of national identity, for example the rejection of Mercosur by the French. India seeks to grow its domestic titans and shut out foreign firms while purchasing abroad through activities such as the ArcelorMittal acquisition.

Economic nationalism is very much its own independent theme.


You're not a murderer for killing in self defence. You are allowed to defend yourself.


Yeah, the next step is to actually think "they are all potential enemies, we should produce here and be independent, so in case there is a war we can make it". Autarky is how Fascism began.


I absolute abhor a slippery slope argument that doesn't actually justify why and how this particular slope is slippery. Hand waving that something kinda sorta similar happened before is not good enough.

Why and how will keeping some chip manufacturing away from China inevitably lead to Fascism? So much manufacturing has been ceded to to China, that it is at this point reasonable to say the it is time to be careful and stop being naive about China.


It was an exaggeration, obviously. We're far from Fascism.

However, our economies are becoming more and more "local-first", after global leaders had told us that globalization was good to keep peace in the world...


"Super Sparta"




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: