https://www.v-dem.net/documents/75/V-Dem_Institute_Democracy_Report_2026_lowres.pdfThe US is a democracy according to whom?
However, recalls do tend to indicate that some flaw escaped manufacturing, when it should not have. And not all flaws cause recalls, even some severe design flaws. The Tesla Model Y interior rearview mirror and rear window are too small and essentially useless. The Tesla Cybertruck rearview mirror is worthless when the motorized bed cover is deployed. The Tesla rear passenger emergency door unlockers are hidden or even absent in some Model Y's. No recalls for the very dangerous design flaws.Not disputing the conclusions, but number of recalls is a bad way to measure reliability. It's a number, not a percentage, and most recalls are very minor. When you make the single best-selling vehicle in the US, one bug in the software ends up being 4.4 million recalls. (Trailer control module in the F150 series, fixed by an over-the-air software update.)
Are you pointing to the list that includes North Korea, China, Russia, Belarus, Myanmar, etc?
How can this politician be allowed to stay a politician?So they’re banning iPhones, Androids, Fitbits, Strava, and teenagers next?
American carmakers need to level up their game again, just like the previous panic when Honda and Toyota innovated beyond the 70s land yachts Michigan was making.
I think the “-Michigan” is the relevant bit, rather than the letter before. Tribalism, especially with regard to perceived political job security, crosses ideological boundaries when that viewed as necessary. The short term (e.g., the next election cycle) usually also trumps the longer term (encouraging Michigan automakers to have viable products, so a need for those Michigan workers, in 10 years).Sad to see the (D) tags here. I'm used to the GQP sticking their heads in the sand and pretending the rest of the world isn't moving on but I guess it will be a bipartisan block to keep Americans from understanding why the US auto industry is going to implode in the next 10 years.
Money quote from that: The USA loses its long-term status as a liberal democracy – for the first time in over 50 years.
Dire report, but I see (para) barely holding as "democracy", for now, not 'it's not a democracy" (/para)Not according to watchdogs:
https://www.v-dem.net/documents/75/V-Dem_Institute_Democracy_Report_2026_lowres.pdf
not adjective-noun =/= not nounMoney quote from that: The USA loses its long-term status as a liberal democracy – for the first time in over 50 years.
But would they trust what Flock tells them? Could Flock be forced to cut them off at any time, or worse, ordered by the US government to give intentionally falsified data/analysis to the foreign agents? Would it be easy for the US to detect the surveillance if the foreign agents are doing business openly with a US company like Flock?Why would foreign agents bother do do the work themselves? They can just buy all that data from companies like Flock.
In this case, it's pure politics. They want the votes of those local workers. They want to stay in office.Sad to see the (D) tags here. I'm used to the GQP sticking their heads in the sand and pretending the rest of the world isn't moving on but I guess it will be a bipartisan block to keep Americans from understanding why the US auto industry is going to implode in the next 10 years.
There's a real question in my mind - I'm no economist, but whether in international trade there's such a thing as a free market at all?"GET THE GOVERNMENT OUT OF OUR FREE MARKETS!!!!
EXCEPT WHEN WE CAN'T COMPETE!!!"
What makes you think our oligarchic, techbro driven dystopia will be any better? Or even different. George Orwell was an optimist.I agree that the fact that they have programs to help people is of course better than not having them at all, but the whole social credit aspect is just dystopianly terrifying!
Oldsmobile was the original car company that existed before GM was incorporated. This is why it was desposed of in the reorganisation of GM. Oldsmobiles original sales network, the dealers, where holders of certain clauses in the contracts from the early 1900's that GM wanted out of.Oldsmobile was bought by GM.
The republicans are carrying out a coup d'etat with their voter suppression campaigns under the guise of redistricting and voter roll purges, and this is how fucking dems spend their limited political capital.
We are so goddamn cooked.
I just noticed a flaw in your above. "one bug in the software ends up being 4.4 million recalls."Not disputing the conclusions, but number of recalls is a bad way to measure reliability. It's a number, not a percentage, and most recalls are very minor. When you make the single best-selling vehicle in the US, one bug in the software ends up being 4.4 million recalls. (Trailer control module in the F150 series, fixed by an over-the-air software update.)
Emphasis mine. It doesn't say "by the government," does it.The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Now I understand why Olds was killed. Back in the day, I used to peruse the Consumer Reports reliability statistics, and one American brand, Olds, was up there with Honda and Toyota, and above all of the European brands. Even for GM, a retaliatory killing seemed a little over the top, but if there was contract-breaking involved, that seems pretty plausible.Oldsmobile was the original car company that existed before GM was incorporated. This is why it was desposed of in the reorganisation of GM. Oldsmobiles original sales network, the dealers, where holders of certain clauses in the contracts from the early 1900's that GM wanted out of.
Sure. The difference being that we can (and will) vote those fuckers out. Good luck doing that in China.Shoot you in the street when helping a fellow protestor? Or when driving away in your car? Damn, sorry, that was just here, this year, in Minneapolis. In a country that's already supposedly a democracy.
That's the best part! We just start banning Chinese from even being in the US. Sure they could recruit other spies, so we ban those nations too. Pretty soon no one is allowed and we're spy free!...and what stops these hypothetical PRC agents from putting the surveillance gear in a pelican case and driving across the border in a rental Ford?
It's not like a Chinese EV is going to have cutting-edge hyperspectral imagers and broad-spectrum RF recorders; they'll have the same COTS sensors that you can find in all kinds of gadgets.
Why would foreign agents bother do do the work themselves? They can just buy all that data from companies like Flock.
Have you ever tried a Vermont maple creemee?If you want a tangible means of understanding just how far ahead China is, go to your local Asian food store. If you are lucky, they will stock some ice cream in the frozen section. You may notice some ice creams that look exactly like fruits with nice details. They also taste like the fruits they look like. Be warned, if you try these fruits you will become jaded of scooping the slop from the tub…
Even Chinas ice cream is 50 years ahead of American ice cream technology.
Well, since Selfridge is actually an Air National Guard Base and not an Air Force Base, I'd say the threat is pretty minimal, regardless. Nothing there but airframes made in the 1970s and 1980s, i.e., there's nothing there that anyone might even want to spy on.How many Canadian tourists take a trip to visit Selfridge Air Force base? (The example the senator gave)
I agree that passive surveillance is a more likely threat, but the Senator claimed the threat was someone taking a deliberate trip to observe the airbase using the car's sensors.
The fear is, if people see with their own eyes that Chinese cars are pretty good, they will start complaining to their congress people about the ban. Also, banning them from entering the US at all might get some Canadian and Mexican car buyers who have to cross the border a lot to buy American instead.How are Michigan jobs on the line by simply allowing the cars to be driven in temporarily?
It's great that everyone in the federal government's views on China are based on massive xenophobia.
All good points. But. I'm struck by the better marketing from BYD. "Dolphin" is such a better name than "ID.3."Here in Europe.
When I bought my BYD Dolphin, VW didn't have anything comparable available. Its equivalent car, the ID.3, was more expensive and technically inferior (NMC vs LFP batteries, no V2L, inferior infotainment, etc.). Below the ID.3, VW had nothing to compete with the BYD Dolphin Surf (a smaller, B-segment car, equivalent to the Polo, very common in Europe).
Today, VW has caught up with BYD. The new ID.3 Neo has a 58 kWh LFP battery (and an optional larger NMC one if you want it), a brand new and very efficient electric motor and good infotainment, as well as V2L. And they have also the new ID.Polo, a beautiful small car with both LFP and NMC batteries. Both cars are still slightly more expensive than BYD (the ID.Polo w.r.t. the Dolphin Surf expecially), but really most people are willing to pay some premium for a VW instead of a Chinese car; also, both the Polo LFP and the ID.3 Neo LFP have faster recharging than the equivalent BYDs.
Do we have tariffs here? Yes, but based on sound economic reasoning. They are calculated to offset the export subsidies that Chinese producers receive. I think it's about 20% for BYD, higher for SAIC and lower for Tesla cars made in China.
Nothing, but I don't think America is quite there, yet.What makes you think our oligarchic, techbro driven dystopia will be any better? Or even different. George Orwell was an optimist.
Having seen a few administrations, I've long since come to the conclusion that anyone who WANTS to run for public office should be banned from running for public office for life.As if we need to give Canadian visitors more reasons not to come to the US and spend money here? Cross border tourism is generally thought to be a good thing among sane people, which seems to include few politicians lately. Facepalm!
Don't forget hack into politicians emails and leverage that information...Why would foreign agents bother do do the work themselves? They can just buy all that data from companies like Flock.
The US has its own forms of 'social credit' scores. They might not be called that, but if it walks like a duck....I agree that the fact that they have programs to help people is of course better than not having them at all, but the whole social credit aspect is just dystopianly terrifying!
A day trip from Mexico to Michigan would be one hell of a drive...
There is, to be fair, a lot more effective industry subsidy in China, but yeah, mostly the problem is that American car companies have increasingly focused on huge expensive cars catering to one of“We’re gonna be aggressive here because Michigan jobs are on the line, but also so is national security."
Senator Slotkin, Michigan jobs would not be on the line if US car manufacturers built cars that were competitive with foreign made vehicles not just on price but also design, manufacturing quality and features. The US believes in the primacy of the free market - and do not bother with the old line about Chinese state subsidies, the US has done the same arguably done more for decades