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posted by martyb on Sunday June 30 2019, @08:42PM   Printer-friendly
from the speak-loudly-and-swing-a-big-stick dept.

Trump reversed course on Huawei. What happens now?

Six weeks after Huawei was blacklisted by the US government, President Donald Trump had what the Chinese telecom firm described as a "U-turn." Trump said Saturday that "US companies can sell their equipment to Huawei," allowing the transactions won't present a "great, national emergency problem."

Trump's comments at the G20 in Japan came after a widely anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jingping. The two sides met to discuss the impasse in the trade dispute, and Huawei, one of the largest smartphone manufacturers in the world, has become a flash point in the battle.

In May, the US Commerce Department banned sales of American-made goods to Huawei without first obtaining a license. US officials have accused the company of working to undermine US national security and foreign policy interests. Trump said Huawei was still part of the ongoing trade discussions between Washington and Beijing, but for now, he would move to resume allowing US companies to sell parts to the Chinese firm.

Also at Android Authority and Business Insider:

President Trump has said US firms can continue selling to Huawei, apparently contradicting a Commerce Department trade blacklist on the Chinese tech firm.

See also: A China-U.S. Trade Truce Could Enshrine a Global Economic Shift

Previously: New Law Bans U.S. Government from Buying Equipment from Chinese Telecom Giants ZTE and Huawei
Huawei Working on its Own OS to Prepare for "Worst-Case Scenario" of Being Deprived of Android
Google Pulls Huawei's Android License
The Huawei Disaster Reveals Google's Iron Grip On Android
Huawei Calls on U.S. to Adjust its Approach to Tackle Cybersecurity Effectively
Google Doesn't Want Huawei Ban Because It Would Result in an Android Competitor
Huawei Soldiers on, Announces Nova 5 and Kirin 810

Related: U.S. Reaches Deal to Keep China's ZTE in Business: Congressional Aide
US Hits China's ZTE with $1 Billion Penalty


Original Submission

Related Stories

Huawei Working on its Own OS to Prepare for "Worst-Case Scenario" of Being Deprived of Android 19 comments

Huawei may have a backup OS in case it has to drop Android

It'd be hard to blame Huawei executives if they're feeling very nervous lately. The US has created havoc for ZTE by renewing an export ban over trade violations, potentially depriving it of its Android license and leaving it without a platform. How would Huawei avoid a similar fate? Simple: it would use its own operating system instead. South China Morning Post sources have claimed that Huawei has been developing its own mobile operating system (there are reportedly tablet and PC equivalents) ever since it and ZTE faced an American investigation in 2012. It's considered an investment for "worst-case scenarios," the insiders said.

The company hasn't released this OS because it isn't up to Android's level of quality and app support, the sources added.

Huawei hasn't confirmed or denied the software's existence, saying only that it "has no plans" to launch an in-house OS in the "foreseeable future" -- if there is one, there's no rush to use it. There was a purported meeting leak in 2012 that referenced a new platform.

See also: ZTE and the Unknown Unknowns

Related: U.S. Intelligence Agency Heads Warn Against Using Huawei and ZTE Products
Huawei CEO Still Committed to the U.S. Market


Original Submission

U.S. Reaches Deal to Keep China's ZTE in Business: Congressional Aide 47 comments

Submitted via IRC for guy_

The Trump administration told lawmakers the U.S. government has reached a deal to put Chinese telecommunications company ZTE Corp back in business after it pays a significant fine and makes management changes, a senior congressional aide said on Friday.

U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to confirm the deal in a tweet late on Friday. “I closed it down then let it reopen with high level security guarantees, change of management and board, must purchase U.S. parts and pay a $1.3 Billion fine.”

The reported deal involving China’s second-largest telecommunications equipment maker ran into immediate resistance in Congress, where Democrats and Trump’s fellow Republicans accused him of bending to pressure from Beijing to ease up on a company that U.S. intelligence officials have suggested poses a significant risk to U.S. national security.

ZTE was banned in April from buying U.S. technology components for seven years for breaking an agreement reached after it violated U.S. sanctions against Iran and North Korea.. After ZTE makes a series of changes it would now be allowed to resume business with U.S. companies, including chipmaker Qualcomm Inc.

The deal, earlier communicated to officials on Capitol Hill by the Commerce Department, requires ZTE to pay a substantial fine, place U.S. compliance officers at the company and change its management team, the aide said.

The Commerce Department would then lift an order issued in April preventing ZTE from buying U.S. products. ZTE shut down most of its production after the ruling was announced.

Fox News said Trump told them on Thursday that he had negotiated the $1.3 billion fine with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a phone call.

ZTE, which is publicly traded but whose largest shareholder is a Chinese state-owned enterprise, agreed last year to pay a nearly $900 million penalty and open its books to a U.S. monitor. The penalty stemmed from for breaking an agreement after it was caught illegally shipping U.S. goods to Iran and North Korea, in an investigation dating to the Obama administration.

Source: http://www.oann.com/u-s-reached-deal-to-keep-chinese-telecom-zte-in-business-new-york-times/


Original Submission

US Hits China's ZTE with $1 Billion Penalty 23 comments

US hits China's ZTE with $1 billion penalty in deal to end crippling sanctions, Commerce Secretary Ross says

[...] "We are literally embedding a compliance department of our choosing into the company to monitor it going forward. They will pay for those people, but the people will report to the new chairman," Ross said in a "Squawk Box" interview.

ZTE's latest brush with U.S. regulators came after the company's business dealings with Iran and North Korea violated U.S. trade agreements. ZTE paid $1.19 billion in fines for those violations, but the dispute didn't end there. The Commerce Department then alleged that ZTE misled regulators and failed to discipline the employees responsible for the sanction breach.

The settlement deal includes $400 million in escrow to cover any future violations as well as requiring ZTE to change its board of directors and executive team in 30 days.

[...] In response to the announced deal, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Thursday in a statement, "When it comes to China, despite [Trump's] tough talk, this deal with ZTE proves the president just shoots blanks."

Also at ZTE will pay $1 billion fine to beat US export ban

-- submitted from IRC


Original Submission

New Law Bans U.S. Government from Buying Equipment from Chinese Telecom Giants ZTE and Huawei 26 comments

President Trump yesterday signed a defense funding bill that included a sweeping ban on the US government using technology supplied by Chinese telecommunications giants ZTE and Huawei. The bill also includes a narrower ban on using surveillance gear provided by Chinese companies Hytera Communications, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology, or Dahua Technology for national security applications.

The legislation directs federal agencies to stop using the Chinese-made hardware within two years. If that proves impractical, an agency can apply for a waiver to permit a longer phase-out period.

Obviously, being banned from selling to the US government is a significant blow to these companies. But overall the bill actually represents something of a reprieve for ZTE. Back in June, the US Senate passed a version of the bill that would have re-imposed an export ban that would have been a de facto death sentence for ZTE because ZTE is heavily dependent on components like Qualcomm chips and Google's Android operating system.

Previously: Verizon Cancels Plans to Sell Huawei Phone Due to U.S. Government Pressure
U.S. Intelligence Agency Heads Warn Against Using Huawei and ZTE Products
The U.S. Intelligence Community's Demonization of Huawei Remains Highly Hypocritical
Huawei CEO Still Committed to the U.S. Market
Rural Wireless Association Opposes U.S. Government Ban on Huawei and ZTE Equipment
ZTE Suspends Operations Due to U.S. Ban (UPDATED)


Original Submission

Google Pulls Huawei’s Android License 43 comments

The Verge has a story about the latest in the US government's war against Huawei:

Following the US crackdown on Chinese technology companies, Google has cut off Huawei’s Android license, dealing a huge blow to the besieged phonemaker. Reuters first reported the news, and The Verge subsequently confirmed Google’s suspension of business with Huawei with a source familiar with the matter.

Reached for comment, a Google spokesperson said only “We are complying with the order and reviewing the implications.” The order, in this case, appears to be the US Commerce Department’s recent decision to place Huawei on the “Entity List,” which as Reuters reports is a list of companies that are unable to buy technology from US companies without government approval.

Speaking to Reuters, a Google spokesperson confirmed that “Google Play and the security protections from Google Play Protect will continue to function on existing Huawei devices.” So while existing Huawei phones around the world won’t be immediately impacted by the decision, the future of updates for those phones as well as any new phones Huawei would produce remains in question.

Huawei is now restricted to using the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), cutting the company off from critical Google apps and services that consumers outside of China expect on Android devices. That also means Huawei will only be able to push security updates for Android once they’re made available in AOSP, assuming the company uses its own update system. It’s not clear yet how this will affect the full range of Android integrations that Huawei depends on, but we will update this story when we receive additional clarification about the impacts of Google’s decision.


Original Submission

The Huawei Disaster Reveals Google’s Iron Grip On Android 17 comments

Most Android manufacturers — including Huawei — are what’s known as Google hardware partners. This relationship lets them build their phones around a collection of Google products, from apps like Google Maps and Assistant, to under-the-hood tools like location services or push notifications. While Google gives off the impression that Android is open and available to everyone, these services represent a quiet control that the company doesn’t often enforce over its hardware partners — though, as it has now proven, it certainly can.

With the recent order, the U.S. government forced Google’s hand. The U.S. Department of Commerce put Huawei on the “Entity List,” which blocks it from buying technology from U.S. companies without government approval. Huawei and Google now have three months to send updates to existing users. For new phones, Huawei may be able to use the open-source version of Android, but it can’t be a Google partner.

The distinction between using Android and being a Google partner seems messy from the outside, but “Android” technically refers to the core operating system that covers basic things like making phone calls or using the camera. The freely available version of Android is called the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) and a company doesn’t have to be a partner to use it.

Politics: Huawei Calls on U.S. to Adjust its Approach to Tackle Cybersecurity Effectively 22 comments

Chinese tech giant Huawei has filed a motion in a US court challenging the constitutionality of a law that limits its sales of telecoms equipment, the latest action in an ongoing clash with Washington.

Huawei's chief legal officer Song Liuping said the firm had filed a motion for summary judgment asking the court to rule on whether it is constitutional for the US to implement a military spending provision that bars the government and its contractors from using its equipment.

Mr Song said the "state-sanctioned campaign" against the company will not improve cybersecurity.

"Politicians in the US are using the strength of an entire nation to come after a private company," he said. "This is not normal."

Source: https://techerati.com/news-hub/huawei-takes-us-to-court-over-security-law/

Additional Coverage:

[Ed Note: full disclosure - The submitter is also the author of the linked news story and a junior editor at the techerati.com web site]


Original Submission

Google Doesn't Want Huawei Ban Because It Would Result in an Android Competitor 11 comments

Report: Google argues the Huawei ban would hurt its Android monopoly

The Trump administration would probably describe its Huawei export ban as a move that improves national security by keeping China's pet telecom company out of the US market. According to a report from The Financial Times, Google's recent discussions with the US government actually argue that the Huawei ban is bad for national security. Google is reportedly asking for an exemption from the export ban.

The argument, reportedly, is that Huawei is currently dependent on Google for its Android smartphone software, and that dependence is a good thing for the US. The Financial Times quotes "one person with knowledge of the conversations" as saying, "Google has been arguing that by stopping it from dealing with Huawei, the US risks creating two kinds of Android operating system: the genuine version and a hybrid one. The hybrid one is likely to have more bugs in it than the Google one, and so could put Huawei phones more at risk of being hacked, not least by China."

[...] Google's control over the Android ecosystem—even when devices don't use the Google apps—means there is still some level of security and updateability going into these devices. Google's first argument in that Financial Times report is that more secure devices are better for national security.

The second argument in the above quote is that a ban would "create two kinds of Android" and hurt Google's monopoly over Android. If you're a smartphone manufacturer looking for a smartphone OS, Android is the only game in town. The latest worldwide OS market share numbers from the IDC show an 86.6/13.3 percent share between Android and iOS, respectively, with "Other" clocking in at 0.0 percent market share. Taken as a whole, the US has a smartphone OS monopoly.

More secure devices (used by foreign targets for NSA hacking) are better for national security? Nice try, Google.

Previously: Huawei Working on its Own OS to Prepare for "Worst-Case Scenario" of Being Deprived of Android
Huawei Hysteria is a False Alarm, Culture Secretary Tells MPs
Google Pulls Huawei's Android License
The Huawei Disaster Reveals Google's Iron Grip On Android
Huawei Calls on U.S. to Adjust its Approach to Tackle Cybersecurity Effectively


Original Submission

Huawei Soldiers on, Announces Nova 5 and Kirin 810 23 comments

Huawei Clarifies Android Update Situation, Commits to Android Q for Last 2 Generations

Huawei last night launched an information campaign about the status of software updates on existing devices in the face of the company's troubles with the U.S. Commerce Department.

The important news is that Huawei is confirming to and committing to continues[sic] security and Android platform updates, specifically the upcoming release of Android Q.

In general the news is no surprise as certification and approval happens several months before the actual software update. With Huawei receiving a reprieve on updates, it means in general business continues as usual for the moment being.

Huawei Announces Nova 5 & Nova Pro in China: Introduces New Kirin 810 Chipset

Today Huawei announced the brand new Nova 5 series of smartphones. The company released the new Nova 5, Nova 5 Pro and Nova 5i in China with availability later this month. The new Nova 5 and 5 Pro are particularly interesting because they now represent Huawei's lowest priced devices with OLED displays, also featuring high-end cameras and SoC options.

The new Nova 5 and Nova 5 Pro are interesting phones because they are essentially the same device, with the peculiarity of having different SoC options: The Nova 5 in particular is the first phone to now introduce the new Kirin 810 chipset. The new chip features a combination of 2x Cortex A76 CPUs at up to 2.23GHz and 6x Cortex A55's at 1.88GHz. In terms of GPU, Huawei has opted for a Mali-G52MP6 running at 820MHz. It looks like the Kirin 810 is extremely well positioned to compete against Qualcomm's Snapdragon 730 SoC which was announced just back in April.

Previously: Huawei Working on its Own OS to Prepare for "Worst-Case Scenario" of Being Deprived of Android
Google Pulls Huawei's Android License
The Huawei Disaster Reveals Google's Iron Grip On Android
Huawei Calls on U.S. to Adjust its Approach to Tackle Cybersecurity Effectively
Google Doesn't Want Huawei Ban Because It Would Result in an Android Competitor


Original Submission

Huawei's Android Alternative Lives on... for IoT 3 comments

HongMeng OS Isn't an Android Smartphone Alternative, Confirms Huawei Executive; Will Be Used for Other Applications

Huawei's HongMeng OS was supposed to be the company's answer to counter the Android license ban if it ended up meddling in the company consumer business. There were near-endless waves of rumors talking about software optimization and how it was faster than Google's mobile platform, but it looks like Huawei's Senior Vice President has finally cleared the air on the company's efforts towards HongMeng OS. Apparently, it is not going to be presented as an Android alternative for smartphones, but it will still have a variety of benefits.

Huawei board member and Senior Vice President Catherine Chen at a meeting in Brussels stated that HongMeng OS isn't designed for smartphones. That is rather strange to hear, especially when the Huawei co-founder repeatedly stated that the company's custom operating system is likely faster than Android or iOS, but lacks a competitive app ecosystem. Catherine also says that smartphone operating systems feature millions of lines of code, while HongMeng OS doesn't.

Even though she claims that HongMeng OS features an extremely low latency compared to a smartphone OS, it will be used in IoT-related applications, with the platform apparently being in development way before the Android license ban came into effect.

Previously: Google Pulls Huawei's Android License
The Huawei Disaster Reveals Google's Iron Grip On Android
Google Doesn't Want Huawei Ban Because It Would Result in an Android Competitor
Trump Administration Will Loosen Restrictions Against Huawei
What Huawei To Go: Hundreds Of Chinese Tech Giant's US Workers To Get Pink Slip


Original Submission

Huawei Sues FCC to Stop Ban on Huawei Gear in US-Funded Networks 6 comments

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2019/12/huawei-sues-fcc-to-stop-ban-on-huawei-gear-in-us-funded-

Huawei has sued the Federal Communications Commission over the agency's order that bans Huawei equipment in certain government-funded telecom projects.

[...] The FCC voted unanimously on November 22 to ban Huawei and ZTE equipment in projects paid for by the commission's Universal Service Fund (USF). The order will affect many small telecom providers that rely on the companies' network gear.

[...] "The US government has never presented real evidence to show that Huawei is a national security threat," Song said. "That's because this evidence does not exist. When pushed for facts, they respond that 'disclosing evidence might also undermine US national security.' This is complete nonsense."

[...] "We've built networks in places where other vendors would not go. They were too remote, or the terrain was difficult, or there just wasn't a big enough population," he said. "In the US, we sell equipment to 40 small wireless and wireline operators. They connect schools, hospitals, farms, homes, community colleges, and emergency services."

Hoftstra University law professor Julian Ku said that "even a small [Huawei] victory in the case, one that makes the FCC go and start the process over again, would be a huge victory for them," according to The New York Times. But it may be a difficult case for Huawei to win because US courts usually give federal agencies "a tremendous amount of deference," Ku said.

Previously:


Original Submission

Huawei Announces HarmonyOS, a Smartphone OS and Android Alternative 18 comments

Huawei Unveils Harmony, Its Answer to Android, in Survival Bid

Huawei, the Chinese technology giant, on Friday unveiled its own mobile operating system, Harmony, in an effort to ensure that its fast-growing smartphone business can survive the United States government's clampdown on the firm.

Huawei has been at the mercy of the Trump administration for the past three months, ever since the Commerce Department began requiring that American companies apply for special permission to sell parts and technology to the Chinese firm, which Washington officials accuse of being a potential conduit for cyberspying by Beijing. The move effectively choked off Huawei's access to Google's Android software and American-made microchips and other hardware components, and put a big question mark over Huawei's future.

Although President Trump said in June that he would loosen some of the restrictions to allow American companies to continue working with Huawei, economic ties between the United States and China have grown more tense since then, and the prospect of immediate relief for Huawei seems more distant.

Unveiling Harmony at a Huawei developer conference in the southern city of Dongguan on Friday, Richard Yu, the head of the company's consumer business, said that the new operating system was designed to work not only on mobile phones, but on smart watches and other connected home devices as well. Indeed, the first Huawei products to run on Harmony will not be smartphones, but "smart screens" that the company plans to release later this year. Mr. Yu said that Harmony would gradually be incorporated into the company's other smart devices over the next three years. But there is no immediate plan, he said, to release Harmony-based phones.

Also at Bloomberg, XDA Developers, The Verge, TechCrunch, CNBC, CNN.

See also: Huawei's cross-platform HarmonyOS will ship in China in 2019, globally in 2020

Previously:
Google Pulls Huawei's Android License
The Huawei Disaster Reveals Google's Iron Grip On Android
Google Doesn't Want Huawei Ban Because It Would Result in an Android Competitor
Trump Administration Will Loosen Restrictions Against Huawei
Huawei's Android Alternative Lives on... for IoT


Original Submission

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The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
(1)
  • (Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 30 2019, @08:56PM (6 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 30 2019, @08:56PM (#861719)

    Or more accurately: The orange pedophile has talked out of his ass again.

    He invoked national security to justify the Huawei ban, but now, somehow, they are no longer a security risk ?

    Of course, trumptard apologists will soon be filling this thread with more of their desperate attemps at polishing that turd. Oh, and also downmodding this post to hell, those great defenders of freedom of speech...

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 30 2019, @10:15PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 30 2019, @10:15PM (#861736)

      next time they should use a few black helicopters, invade chinese airspace, abduct the wowway boss and then seaburial him in the chinese see .. but not before checking the neighborhood for smallpox infections!

    • (Score: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 30 2019, @11:00PM (2 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 30 2019, @11:00PM (#861748)

      Or more accurately: The orange pedophile has talked out of his ass again.

      On Twitter

      He invoked national security to justify the Huawei ban,

      On Twitter

      but now, somehow, they are no longer a security risk ?

      It was on Twitter

      Of course, trumptard apologists will soon be filling this thread with more of their desperate attemps at polishing that turd. Oh, and also downmodding this post to hell, those great defenders of freedom of speech...

      They are all on Twitter, the One True Communications Media of the great United Sates of America.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 01 2019, @07:03AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 01 2019, @07:03AM (#861852)

        "They are all on Twitter, the One True Communications Media of the great United Sates of America."

        Indeed. Government by twit. MAGA all the way, baby!!!

      • (Score: 2) by ElizabethGreene on Monday July 01 2019, @07:05PM

        by ElizabethGreene (6748) Subscriber Badge on Monday July 01 2019, @07:05PM (#862128) Journal

        The one true communications media of the great United States of America

        ... that allows him to define the soundbites and not people that would very much like to see him out of office.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 01 2019, @12:29PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 01 2019, @12:29PM (#861885)

      He invoked national security to justify the Huawei ban, but now, somehow, they are no longer a security risk ?

      Probably Xi Jingping reassured Trump that China has no intention to spy using Huawei phones. :-)

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 01 2019, @03:41PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 01 2019, @03:41PM (#861985)

      No, I downmodded you for using the words, "orange pedophile," and, "trumptard," which are stupid characterizations that undermines the rest of your well-made point and makes the rest harder to agree with instead of easier. And you have the right to say those words, just as I have the right to downmod you into oblivion and hopes that someone else posts the same content without the insults.

  • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Sunday June 30 2019, @08:58PM (11 children)

    by fustakrakich (6150) on Sunday June 30 2019, @08:58PM (#861720) Journal

    This has to be the most embarrassingly craven president ever.

    "I can state, from my own knowledge and experience that Italian Americans are among the most loyal, most law abiding, patriotic, hard working American citizens in this land [youtube.com]". Oh wait, that was Senator Geary... (the link is the prez talking)

    --
    La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
    • (Score: 3, Insightful) by JoeMerchant on Monday July 01 2019, @03:10AM (10 children)

      by JoeMerchant (3937) on Monday July 01 2019, @03:10AM (#861806)

      Waffles for breakfast, waffles for lunch, waffles for dinner coated in cheeto dust.

      But, when you control the press, you can play up the side of the waffle that makes you look good to the people who like it, and hide the bad side from them - because the majority of people don't really pay attention or have memories good enough to pick up on these changes in policy.

      2020 has the potential to be soooo depressingly disappointing.

      --
      🌻🌻 [google.com]
      • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Monday July 01 2019, @04:03AM (9 children)

        by fustakrakich (6150) on Monday July 01 2019, @04:03AM (#861816) Journal

        This isn't about the press. It's more of a hostage situation and he has to read a "manifesto" on the air. It's totally bizarre the way he talks about these people in ways that nobody normally would.

        --
        La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
        • (Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Monday July 01 2019, @02:21PM (8 children)

          by JoeMerchant (3937) on Monday July 01 2019, @02:21PM (#861935)

          Remember: he had a totally bizarre life starting from birth, the way he talks to/about all people is calculated and influenced in ways that nobody normal ever would be. He didn't come up as a lizard-person-politician learning skills of how to relate to the common voter, he didn't come up as a manager or influencer of ordinary people, he didn't succeed is businesses that appeal to the majority of people, he's basically just a trust-fund-baby-freak who's lived his whole life with a highly distorted perspective as compared to, say, people who spent at least a few years in mainstream schools and jobs.

          This was all on-the-table in November of 2016, and somehow it didn't bother 49% of the popular vote enough to stop them from filling in the bubble by his name.

          In the words of the late-great George Carlin: think of somebody you know with a 100 I.Q. - now, realize that fully half of the world is dumber than that!

          --
          🌻🌻 [google.com]
          • (Score: 1) by khallow on Monday July 01 2019, @03:09PM (1 child)

            by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Monday July 01 2019, @03:09PM (#861970) Journal
            I guess you slept through that - which was probably not a bad idea. The problem was that Hillary Clinton was the other main party choice. Run dog food against Trump, and he will get elected.
            • (Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Monday July 01 2019, @03:43PM

              by JoeMerchant (3937) on Monday July 01 2019, @03:43PM (#861987)

              While I don't disagree, at least HC was/is run-of-the-mill grade D policrat dog food.

              What we got came out the other end of the dog, in terms of leadership quality.

              As pointless as it was, I wrote-in Bernie on my ballot, because I could not in good conscious vote for either.

              --
              🌻🌻 [google.com]
          • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Monday July 01 2019, @04:49PM (5 children)

            by fustakrakich (6150) on Monday July 01 2019, @04:49PM (#862042) Journal

            Well, yes, his extremely weak character is the other explanation for this behavior. Up until his election he has never encountered people of real strength. He reacts like a puppy dog running to keep up.

            Oh well, this is the low class of people that win these days. Pretty bad reflection on the majority of people who vote.

            --
            La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
            • (Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Monday July 01 2019, @04:59PM (4 children)

              by JoeMerchant (3937) on Monday July 01 2019, @04:59PM (#862057)

              this is the low class of people that win these days. Pretty bad reflection on the majority of people who vote.

              Populist leaders appeal to the masses by projecting a convincing "I am one of you" image.

              Sadly, this time it wasn't just a reassuring image, he actually is as dumb as most of the voters.

              --
              🌻🌻 [google.com]
              • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Monday July 01 2019, @05:33PM (3 children)

                by fustakrakich (6150) on Monday July 01 2019, @05:33PM (#862087) Journal

                So, what is to be done about majority rule? Will it correct itself? Or does it always end this way?

                --
                La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
                • (Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Monday July 01 2019, @06:41PM (2 children)

                  by JoeMerchant (3937) on Monday July 01 2019, @06:41PM (#862117)

                  what is to be done about majority rule?

                  Nothing, because we don't have majority rule. We have the Electoral College which approximates the majority of the voting population winning the race, but with less than 50% of the popular votes cast carrying the election several times recently, less than 30% of eligible voters voting... it doesn't feel like majority rule to me.

                  Will it correct itself?

                  We can hope so, future is uncertain, ask again later.

                  Or does it always end this way?

                  It is tempting to quote BSG "all of this has happened before, and will happen again..." but, I don't believe in pre-destined outcomes. We can always screw things up worse, and maybe there's a slim chance we can improve a little, too.

                  --
                  🌻🌻 [google.com]
                  • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Monday July 01 2019, @08:07PM (1 child)

                    by fustakrakich (6150) on Monday July 01 2019, @08:07PM (#862135) Journal

                    it doesn't feel like majority rule to me.

                    The options are wide open. The only problem is the voters. People have to speak up if they think the system is "rigged". If they don't, oh well... This is the result. There's no one else to run to. Either people take their own initiative, or they don't.

                    --
                    La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
                    • (Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Monday July 01 2019, @08:21PM

                      by JoeMerchant (3937) on Monday July 01 2019, @08:21PM (#862142)

                      People have to speak up if they think the system is "rigged"

                      The problem, as I see it, is that both "sides" are jockeying for maximal power, and they get that by minimizing their majority - the more people you piss off the more power you have (or are exercising), so each side aims to piss off about 49%, and we don't have anything resembling real choice at the ballot box, just two barely differentiated and 49% distasteful choices. That's where it's rigged: no worthwhile candidates make it to the upper levels.

                      I still like the Arthur C. Clarke approach to government: the draft. I'd make a variation of it where all adults who have taken the basic educational requirements for office, and placed in the upper 1/3 of their classes in ALL important categories, are thrown in a pool and selected at random to serve for terms roughly equivalent to the average terms served by our current representatives. Congressional terms are only 2 years, but most serve multiples, so make the period of service more like 5 years, with a new batch of inductees/retirees every 6 months so that at least 90% of the government has some experience at what they are doing at all times. The key element put forward by Clarke was: anybody actively seeking public office should be immediately/automatically barred from serving.

                      Whether election or draft, I do believe we need more transparency, and I would be fully in favor of doubling the current size of our government for the singular purpose of installing neutral auditors who do nothing but observe, report, and bring to light any and all malfeasance or the appearance thereof...

                      --
                      🌻🌻 [google.com]
  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 30 2019, @10:03PM (7 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 30 2019, @10:03PM (#861733)

    Trolling Trump is so easy as all he does is fail.

    Failed on Healthcare -- Who knew healthcare would be hard?

    Failed on Immigration -- Children in prisons...uhh.

    Failed on the Deficit -- Why don't we talk about this one anymore??? I remember billboards with the ever ticking number when Obama was president.

    Failed on China policy -- No...nothing has changed.

    Failed on NAFTA -- his is the same dam thing!

    Failed on bringing back Jobs -- Where are those "Made in the USA TVs?"

    Failed on the Wall -- which most people don't want and Mexico is definitely not paying for

    Failed on being a basic human being -- No empathy for anybody, and thinks women are sex objects who should be rated on a scale of 1 to 10

    Both ZTE and Huawei are doing bad things and deserve what we "were" going to do. Now they are being rewarded.

    • (Score: 2) by AthanasiusKircher on Sunday June 30 2019, @11:50PM (2 children)

      by AthanasiusKircher (5291) on Sunday June 30 2019, @11:50PM (#861758) Journal

      And yet he still has >40% approval rating in polls, so I guess a rather substantial portion of the electorate simply doesn't care.

      • (Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Monday July 01 2019, @03:13AM

        by JoeMerchant (3937) on Monday July 01 2019, @03:13AM (#861807)

        I guess a rather substantial portion of the electorate

        are incompetent and ineffective in their lives, too, so he's very relatable for them.

        --
        🌻🌻 [google.com]
      • (Score: 2) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Monday July 01 2019, @03:52PM

        by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us (6553) on Monday July 01 2019, @03:52PM (#861992) Journal

        Which is still on track to be the lowest approval rating of any first-term President in the history of tracking, including Richard Nixon (although Nixon did do worse in the second term.... when Watergate came to light). That includes one-termers Ford and H.W. Bush. Which would seem to indicate that a substantial portion of those who respond to the polls simply never cares about the problems of the other half.

        --
        This sig for rent.
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 01 2019, @04:45AM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 01 2019, @04:45AM (#861827)

      TPP: Trump is inserting provisions from the TPP into the NAFTA renegotiation.

      Yemen: Trump vetoed a bipartisan bill that would have ended the US's support of Saudi Arabia's genocide in Yemen.

      War: Trump occasionally spewed anti-war rhetoric on the campaign trail, but the cuck seems to have no intention of actually getting us out of any of the wars or "interventions."

      NSA: Trump hasn't ended the NSA's unconstitutional mass surveillance programs or even really tried, despite whining about how he might have been spied on. I guess it only matters to the extent that it affects him. Typical.

      TSA: The TSA is a huge invasion of people's privacy, a violation of the Constitution, and a general waste of money. Yet, despite claiming to want to get rid of "regulations" and waste, Trump certainly doesn't seem to intend to end the TSA.

      So, Trump is just a typical authoritarian politician, plus mean tweets. He's the establishment's bitch boy.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 01 2019, @05:03PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 01 2019, @05:03PM (#862059)

        he's just trying to MAAGA!

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 01 2019, @06:57AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 01 2019, @06:57AM (#861848)

      "Failed on the Deficit -- Why don't we talk about this one anymore??? I remember billboards with the ever ticking number when Obama was president."

      Oh, that one is as simple as the current occupant of the WH. "We" don'the talk about it anymore because the Republicans now have effective control of the federal budget. But I'm sure you knew that already. As for ZTE and Huawei, I'm a bit less fussed about them. They are mostly snooping for intellectual property. On the other hand, there are American companies that are, even now, giving various TLAs backdoors to snoop on ALL our communications. I think you should be.much more concerned about that, IMHO.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 01 2019, @12:34PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 01 2019, @12:34PM (#861889)

      Failed on bringing back Jobs

      Well, I wouldn't blame him for not being able to resurrect the Apple founder.

  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 30 2019, @11:19PM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 30 2019, @11:19PM (#861751)

    If we're renormalizing relations with Huawei, are we permitting Canada to release the hostage they are holding for us?

    • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 01 2019, @12:39AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 01 2019, @12:39AM (#861769)

      No, Kushner's plan is for China to nuke Canada, then his warehouses full of maple syrup will skyrocket in value.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 01 2019, @05:01AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 01 2019, @05:01AM (#861832)

      No. Huawei must gift transfer all their 5G knowledge and IP rights to Intel first.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 01 2019, @01:09PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 01 2019, @01:09PM (#861903)

    If I wear my 'america loves to snoop' glasses, I'd suspect this is about Android and the fear of a real alternative coming from Huawei. I think it's already too late. They'll build their own. With blackjack and hookers.

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