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Not sure how valid but I think a case from this hypothesized Chinese Government perspective can be made even without criticizing Netflix itself. When Hollywood

Not sure how valid but I think a case from this hypothesized Chinese Government perspective can be made even without criticizing Netflix itself. When Hollywood was built in the 1920's it was not exactly the backbone of the economy. The article argues that the Chinese Government sees value in the economy beyond GDP goes up and cash flows good. Technology and manufacturing are important to national security. The article quote Xi Jinping saying “we must recognize the fundamental importance of the real economy… and never deindustrialize.” I guess the national question for the other super power is how important is this "real economy" to itself. Is too much talent and labor sucked up in profitable activity that is suboptimal for a nation? Are these 21st century company's like Netflix good enough for our nation?

triceratops 5y ago
> “we must recognize the fundamental importance of the real economy… and never deindustrialize.” This is a valid point, and I tend to agree with it. However I see entertainment as part of the "real" economy. It's an incredibly old industry, provides real value to nearly every human being, creates high-, medium-, and low-skilled employment across a wide variety of disciplines, can allow your culture to punch above its weight, and produces art that endures across generations and centuries (for example, Shakespeare).
- lasagnaphil 5y ago
  The real problem is that when the basic infrastructure that maintain the entertainment industry is gone, then the whole thing breaks down in shambles. For example, someday there might be a global shortage of electronics due to geo-political factors, and then you will have no chips to make those fancy consoles and PCs with.
  - triceratops 5y ago
    That's the thing about the entertainment industry though. It's been around since the amphitheater was the pinnacle of technology. Literally all you need to entertain people is talent and a space.

triceratops 5y ago

> “we must recognize the fundamental importance of the real economy… and never deindustrialize.” This is a valid point, and I tend to agree with it. However I see entertainment as part of the "real" economy. It's an incredibly old industry, provides real value to nearly every human being, creates high-, medium-, and low-skilled employment across a wide variety of disciplines, can allow your culture to punch above its weight, and produces art that endures across generations and centuries (for example, Shakespeare).

lasagnaphil 5y ago
The real problem is that when the basic infrastructure that maintain the entertainment industry is gone, then the whole thing breaks down in shambles. For example, someday there might be a global shortage of electronics due to geo-political factors, and then you will have no chips to make those fancy consoles and PCs with.
- triceratops 5y ago
  That's the thing about the entertainment industry though. It's been around since the amphitheater was the pinnacle of technology. Literally all you need to entertain people is talent and a space.