Trump says he told CEO Tim Cook "We are not interested in you building in India."
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Trump has “a little problem” with Apple’s plan to ship iPhones from India
- Thread starter JournalBot
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What people constantly overlook even in news media is that USA employees are some of the most expensive in the world. Not just because of salary, but because the USA is THE ONLY developed country in the entire world where the employer also has to pay for medical coverage for every employee. So every single employee - and their families - costs a company more than the majority of the world's developed nations.
Maybe if Republicans fixed the healthcare system like the majority of other places have figured out, then the cost per employee would purely be based on salary and not propping up the executives of health insurance companies. But nope ... here we are.
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All Apple needs to do is design a new iPhone model for manufacturing in the USA.
Problem solved.
Problem solved.
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The majority of the iPhone is produced in the USA - I assume. What I mean is that the "physical stuff" that goes into making the hardware is less of the product than the software and the service delivery to the phone. The software and the free updates for many years is a lot of the value of the selling price. -- that is not "free" but included in the $1000. Think of how crappy people say the build quality is of the Tesla Y - but people still love the car (Musk feelings aside) for the software. The most important part of the phone and the Tesla is the software, and that is made in USA and is entirely ignored in these tariff discussions.
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With all due respect, Atheist Communism. Several monastic orders, not to mention early Christian communities, would like to have a word with you...
(Edit: clarification)
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There were two advocates on Tariffs advising Trump. Bessent was the guy who wanted to use tariffs to force countries to make deals with the US. Lutnick was the advocate in favor of high tariffs as a way to force companies to relocate all manufacturing to the US.
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I encourage Apple to set up a production line in the US that creates phones sold only for the US market with locally sourced electronics and assembled in the US, while the rest of the world gets phones manufactured by the regular logistics and manufacturing system.
Let's see what happens. We could even call them "iPhones designed in California, outsourced to MAGA" to make the connection crystal clear.
Let's see what happens. We could even call them "iPhones designed in California, outsourced to MAGA" to make the connection crystal clear.
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I get your point, there's been a definite flip in party support on this issue. But it happened way back in the first Trump term, circa 2016.
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Which will be ironic since by improving the education system, that should go a long way towards idiots like Trump ever getting elected in the first place.
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Why not?? they have been that party for the last 30 years at least
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JonnyOneNote
Ars Centurion
That's what you get,Timmy-dearest, when you kiss the Orange Julius Caesar's ring.
Now he owns you. Sucka!
Now he owns you. Sucka!
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I have toured many factories in China, including Foxconn factories that make precision electro optics and other Electromechanical items. The smell of Acetone, Methanol and other solvents is overwhelming. 6 days a week, 10,5 hours a day is standard. after that comes overtime. Spend some time in Fujian and see for yourself. out cheap products have a human price
https://chinalaborwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Chengdu-Foxconn-Report-202306.pdf
and dont worry they plan to be just as awful in India
https://gadgettendency.com/apple-an...ifts-for-women-at-iphone-production-in-india/
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So, the India will produce iPhones for the world, the USA will build iPhones for the USA, but have them costing 5 times as much.
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I don't like our healthcare system, but this factually untrue regarding labor costs. The cost of labor in the US, essentially the total cost of employment (salary, benefits, taxes, etc) is within the range of the advanced European countries. Labor in the poorer EU countries is cheaper, labor in the richer EU countries is more expensive. The average is almost the same based on 2024 numbers.
I know this because I am researching my employer sponsoring me to leave the US, and part of the equation is figuring out total cost of employment and what that translates to in take home pay across a few potential EU locations (so again, not love loss for the US healthcare system).
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Maybe at some point. I am pretty sure at this point China is a hyper capitalist dictatorship.
But yes, since "true" Communism has never managed to materialize, we can only associate the word with the real world results we have obserbed coming out of attempts to create it. Which is some authoritarian dictatorship with a random assortment of socialist ideals and a smattering of imperialism on top as well.
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agreed. China was a "communist" dictatorship and the poor starved. Now they are no rules "capitalist" dictatorship with a sprinkle of socialism, and the people are exploited but not starving. the dictatorship is the common theme.
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You’re never safe from an extortionist. They always keep coming back for more.
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Only the phones? Nah.
Though I wonder what would Apple stuff cost were it made in America.
Though I wonder what would Apple stuff cost were it made in America.
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Everyone posting how dumb this is and how dumb Trump is because he doesn't understand economic realities. Does it matter? He apparently understands political realities. He tells voters what enough of them want to hear and he got elected. Twice!
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The Democratic Party overall has become moderate politically.
— Under President Bill Clinton the federal budget was basically in balance.
— The Obama Health care program (the Affordable Care Act./ACA) was partly based on a health care proposal from Congressional Republicans submitted in 1992. Republican Mitt Romney’s health care program in Massachusetts also had an influence on the ACA.
— Democratic Presidents have become more in favor of free trade deals, especially with other democracies, over the years.
Also, there are many moderate conservatives such as from the Lincoln Project who oppose the Presidency of Donald Trump.
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Actually, I associate with with Star Trek. If that isn't your goal, then you're doing it wrong and not a real communist.
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There are really two possibilities here.
Either: A. Trump and his minions (so including Lutnik and Bessent and all their acolytes up and down the chain) are total economic idiots; or B. They are active agents working on behalf of some other entity or entities who understand exactly what they are doing and whose goal is to undermine America's economy.
Either: A. Trump and his minions (so including Lutnik and Bessent and all their acolytes up and down the chain) are total economic idiots; or B. They are active agents working on behalf of some other entity or entities who understand exactly what they are doing and whose goal is to undermine America's economy.
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There's a speech where he says international trade is easy and all that really matters is the delivery. "We would really like it if you were nice and lowered your tariffs," he says in his best nebbishly nerd delivery. Then he whips out, "You better fucking lower your tariffs our else!" He's so dumb he thought it would be that easy and that we magically hold all the cards.
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No defenses, you say?
I'm sure it's fine. American Presidents historically have never had any enemies of note. Certainly not the current one being a beacon of global stability and goodwill. I have every confidence this is a non-issue. Gas that fucker up for a World Tour.
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...and then he'll pull out his pen and paper and ink an EO declaring Apple under control of DOGE.
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Send Trump a gold iPhone and iPad and watch half these problems disappear
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I'm sure Tim Cook is an expert at this. I worked with some ex-NeXT/Apple guys, and Steve Jobs was treated exactly the same way.
He'd make some outlandish, impractical demand, so they'd all nod and say they would get on it. He'd chase it up the next day, they'd say they were on it. He'd chase it up the next week, they would say they were making progress. Then he'd lose interest and focus on some other pet issue, and they would go back to business as usual.
Or he'd demand they fire a critical resource they'd just hired because he had a "bad feeling" about him. So they'd transfer that guy to Pixar for a few months, or hide him away in a back-office, and then he'd come back once Steve had forgotten all about it.
If anyone is qualified to deal with Trump's demands, it's Tim Cook.
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Not surprising all these narcissists think alike, thinking all their whims and urges are infallible, and surrounds themselves with ass kissers 24/7 to hear what they want in a feedback loop.
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They're both alike and completely dissimilar.
In the case of Steve Jobs, he had a team of people around him who really cared about protecting the company (and Jobs himself) from his worst personality traits, because they also saw him as a visionary leader, and admired him despite his flaws, egocentrism and occasional sheer irrationality. The team around him was loyal, had been there for years, and knew how to manage him.
Trump has all those flaws, but without any redeeming features. Meanwhile, the people around him are only there to serve their own self-interest. They don't particularly care about shielding him from his worst impulses, and likely aren't even clever enough to do so if they tried.
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