4 ms·

This is a take that's wildly generous to FoxConn, painting them as the "aww schucks" kinda honest guys that just didn't know about the challenges of the US labo

This is a take that's wildly generous to FoxConn, painting them as the "aww schucks" kinda honest guys that just didn't know about the challenges of the US labor market. The alternate take is that the whole deal was made in bad faith and FoxConn was hoping to collect subsidies and line its pockets. This version of events has some precedent[1]. It's especially hard to believe that FoxConn didn't know about US labor when this same situation played out in Pennsylvania in 2013[2]. [1] https://www.marketwatch.com/story/foxconns-history-of-broken-promises-casts-a-shadow-on-wisconsin-news-2017-07-27 https://www.marketwatch.com/story/foxconns-history-of-broken... [2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/how-foxconns-broken-pledges-in-pennsylvania-cast-doubt-on-trumps-jobs-plan/2017/03/03/0189f3de-ee3a-11e6-9973-c5efb7ccfb0d_story.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/how-foxconns...

Loughla 6y ago
You're 100% spot on. I cannot be convinced a multi-national mega-corp is ignorant of US labor and the challenges in the US labor market. There just is no way that's possible for a company this size, or am I wrong? So that leaves either bad faith, or they are just abjectly incompetent. I can't really see any other options. Or, again, am I way off base?
- chrisjc 6y ago
  > I cannot be convinced a multi-national mega-corp is ignorant of US labor and the challenges in the US labor market. Especially one that is a specialist in harvesting laborers from all corners of the world. I can only imagine selecting the right labor force has to be their main competences.
- jfb 6y ago
  I mean, it was bullshit from jump street, but if Wisconsin had poured (more) money into Foxconn's pockets, I'm sure they'd have been happy to put something up.
  - KZZ 6y ago
    For the record, they have put something up. Currently 1 large empty buildings and 2 medium sized, filled buildings. Also one perplexing glass globe.
MomoXenosaga 6y ago
You know what's bad faith? Politicians bullshitting that these kind of factory jobs are ever going to come back. My smartphone will never be assembled in the US or Germany.
- dqpb 6y ago
  It will never be assembled by humans in the US, but we should strive for US based robotic manufacturing.
  - pokot0 6y ago
    This is the key people often overlook. If we stop using our AI geniuses to develop tracking algorithms and start building automation, we can have nextgen factories in the West. The environmental factor is yet to be solved though. For the most part, developing countries are trading environmental damage for money. Not much different from harvesting oil or other resources to an economist.
    - moneybaggins 6y ago
      Well let’s see, work in adtech and make $1M TC and get treated with kid gloves by the company or work in industrial engineering and make $100K and be a cost center. How do we change the incentives? Ban advertising and tracking? But making the alternative more attractive is out of the cards...
      - pokot0 6y ago
        I know and I agree. It's hard. But don't tempt me on banning ads! :P If you look from the outside, as a society we are using a lot of our best brains for very frivolous things. I wish for a more efficient way of using our minds!
    - kevin_thibedeau 6y ago
      Physical manufacturing doesn't have the sort of profit margins that software provides. You can't give devs the kind of pay many expect when there are 10x more people in the production chain. Investors aren't going to flock to such businesses.
analog31 6y ago
It's not unprecedented that someone who should know better, and has the best advisors in town, is blinded by their preconceptions about a country and its people. It's lost us a few wars.

Loughla 6y ago

You're 100% spot on. I cannot be convinced a multi-national mega-corp is ignorant of US labor and the challenges in the US labor market. There just is no way that's possible for a company this size, or am I wrong? So that leaves either bad faith, or they are just abjectly incompetent. I can't really see any other options. Or, again, am I way off base?

chrisjc 6y ago
> I cannot be convinced a multi-national mega-corp is ignorant of US labor and the challenges in the US labor market. Especially one that is a specialist in harvesting laborers from all corners of the world. I can only imagine selecting the right labor force has to be their main competences.
jfb 6y ago
I mean, it was bullshit from jump street, but if Wisconsin had poured (more) money into Foxconn's pockets, I'm sure they'd have been happy to put something up.
- KZZ 6y ago
  For the record, they have put something up. Currently 1 large empty buildings and 2 medium sized, filled buildings. Also one perplexing glass globe.

MomoXenosaga 6y ago

You know what's bad faith? Politicians bullshitting that these kind of factory jobs are ever going to come back. My smartphone will never be assembled in the US or Germany.

dqpb 6y ago
It will never be assembled by humans in the US, but we should strive for US based robotic manufacturing.
- pokot0 6y ago
  This is the key people often overlook. If we stop using our AI geniuses to develop tracking algorithms and start building automation, we can have nextgen factories in the West. The environmental factor is yet to be solved though. For the most part, developing countries are trading environmental damage for money. Not much different from harvesting oil or other resources to an economist.
  - moneybaggins 6y ago
    Well let’s see, work in adtech and make $1M TC and get treated with kid gloves by the company or work in industrial engineering and make $100K and be a cost center. How do we change the incentives? Ban advertising and tracking? But making the alternative more attractive is out of the cards...
    - pokot0 6y ago
      I know and I agree. It's hard. But don't tempt me on banning ads! :P If you look from the outside, as a society we are using a lot of our best brains for very frivolous things. I wish for a more efficient way of using our minds!
  - kevin_thibedeau 6y ago
    Physical manufacturing doesn't have the sort of profit margins that software provides. You can't give devs the kind of pay many expect when there are 10x more people in the production chain. Investors aren't going to flock to such businesses.

analog31 6y ago

It's not unprecedented that someone who should know better, and has the best advisors in town, is blinded by their preconceptions about a country and its people. It's lost us a few wars.