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Indeed. They had extensive surveillance and sabotage networks all throughout the world. Simple because it was easier (and cheaper) to just steal it than devel
by starkd 6y ago
Indeed. They had extensive surveillance and sabotage networks all throughout the world. Simple because it was easier (and cheaper) to just steal it than develop it domestically. With the soviet demise, that apparatus hasn't gone away. Russians and Chinese still work off that approach.
- echelon 6y agoHow long before they're ahead? Will the West ever have to result to those tactics?
- PopePompus 6y agoIt's hard to get ahead by stealing, because you end up under investing in domestic research capability. China probably has a large enough economy to do both theft and cutting-edge research, but the old USSR would never have pulled ahead.
- p_l 6y agoDropping support for domestic research&development and switching towards "just steal it" are considered part of why USSR failed - and a legacy of Brezhnev era.
- jariel 6y agoI believe everyone is playing the game of industrial espionage in the realm of defence, it's all 'fair game'. It's just that you have to have something worth stealing in order for it to be stolen. Surely 'The West' is analyzing and borrowing every possible concept they can. The thing is, Westerners will have a different view of what 'Public v. Private' means, and 'Open Enterprise' is something completely distinct from 'Government' which is not the case in other parts of the world - hence a lot of ideological confusion.
- starkd 6y agoGood point. I wonder how much it has to do with the very concept of "intellectual property". China seems unfazed by the idea of taking it seriously.
- RantyDave 6y agoOr: open source everything. It's a great way to keep your competitors behind you, provided you're happy with them being /just/ behind you.