Please be open to feedback and constructive criticism from others, and consider their suggestions and advice when making decisions or forming opinions.
- Manlobbi
Halls of Shrewd'm / US Policy
No. of Recommendations: 2
Huh. Imagine that:
The Mittelstand—a broad tier of midsize manufacturers, mainly specialized in capital and intermediate goods and reliant on exports—once thrived by making machines for factories everywhere. But China is now closing the quality gap and offering prices as low as half those of their European rivals.https://www.wsj.com/economy/china-is-devastating-t...The German economy is faltering in a big way.
For the first time in decades, Germany now imports more advanced capital goods from China than it exports there. Manufacturers are suddenly on the defensive, not just in China and elsewhere, but also at home. Many Mittelstand firms are idling workers, cutting jobs or shifting production, including to China.
Germany’s trade balance with China in capital goods slid from a surplus of roughly 750 million euros to a €500 million deficit between mid-2024 and August 2025 on a 12-month rolling average, according to New York-based Apollo Global Management. Germany’s machine-tools exports to China slumped by around one-third in the first quarter from a year earlier. What’s the problem? Only Trumpians want to stop factory outsourcing, especially of capital goods.
This evolution was a deliberate, state-backed engineering feat. Under its “10,000 Little Giants” initiative, the Chinese government funneled massive subsidies, tax breaks and state resources into thousands of specialized midsize firms, explicitly designed to replace Germany’s famed “hidden champions.”It’s like they have a plan or something they’ve been following. Imagine that.
No. of Recommendations: 2
It’s like they have a plan or something they’ve been following. Imagine that.
GAH! Big gummit central planning1!!! Only Commies do that, not "freeedom loving" USians.
/sarcasm
Steve
No. of Recommendations: 4
No. of Recommendations: 1
GAH! Big gummit central planning1!!! Only Commies do that, not "freeedom loving" USians.
/sarcasm
Uh. That’s the plan I’m referring to: the Chinese’ specific plan to kill Germany. You’d think they weren’t our friends or something.
No. of Recommendations: 1
Uh. That’s the plan I’m referring to: the Chinese’ specific plan to kill Germany. You’d think they weren’t our friends or something.
Crush the competition, so they have a monopoly, and gouge the living daylights out of their customers, while cheating their employees? That is what "free market capitalists" in Shinyland do.
Steve
No. of Recommendations: 1
It's too late.
Those of us who were labeled "protectionist!" "racist" by Club 401K ---and NeoCon Republicans in the 90s warned about this:)
Anything from burger chains to AI to EV to so much in between.
Hmmmm, ya think China ripped much of it off----or learned it from the sellout Western businesses who set up shop there, and had to "partner" with Chinese firms?
I only wish it hadn't decimated American jobs and families and lifestyles.
The other regret: 401K Liberals love Communist China -- so they are quite content. These greedy racist snobby Co-Exist bullshitters---collected the 401K money to undeserved retirement prosperity---and now don't give a hoot.
Too bad it isn't "Putin" milking this at least that would be fun.
Yep, XI is a Blue State Boy.
He won.
