SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
from the absence-of-proof-is-not-proof-of-absence dept.
Despite U.S. Pressure, Germany Refuses To Exclude Huawei's 5G Technology
The Trump administration insists that Chinese firm Huawei, which makes 5G technology, could hand over data to the Chinese government. The U.S. has warned European allies, including Germany, Hungary and Poland, to ban Huawei from its 5G network or risk losing access to intelligence-sharing.
Germany has refused to ban any company, despite pressure from the U.S. Instead, Chancellor Angela Merkel reiterated that her country would instead tighten security rules. "Our approach is not to simply exclude one company or one actor," she told a conference in Berlin on Tuesday, "but rather we have requirements of the competitors for this 5G technology."
Did The U.S. Just Lose Its War With Huawei?
"There are two things I don't believe in," Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday, referring to Germany's standoff with the United States over Huawei's inclusion in her country's 5G rollout. "First, to discuss these very sensitive security questions publicly, and, second, to exclude a company simply because it's from a certain country."
Europe now seems likely to settle on 'careful and considered' inclusion of Huawei instead of any blanket bans. Chancellor Merkel stressed this week that a joined-up EU response would be "desirable", and Italy and the U.K. are also backing away from Washington's prohibition on Huawei's 5G technology. If they fold, it is likely the broader European Union will follow suit. And if those key European allies can't be carried, what chance Asia-Pacific, Africa, the Middle East?
There comes a tipping point in any battle, and with this one, we may be just about there. Even as the head of the U.S. European Command told the Armed Services Committee "we're concerned about [Germany's] telecommunications' backbone being compromised... If [Huawei] is inside of their defense communications, then we're not going to communicate with them," the industry was delivering a very different message. "We've not seen any evidence of backdoors into the network," said Vodafone's most senior lawyer in the U.K. "If the Americans have evidence, please put it out on the table."
Clearest sign yet of diminished U.S. influence?
Also at Bloomberg and Reuters.
Previously: U.S. Lawmakers Urge AT&T to Cut Ties With Huawei
The U.S. Intelligence Community's Demonization of Huawei Remains Highly Hypocritical
New Law Bans U.S. Government from Buying Equipment from Chinese Telecom Giants ZTE and Huawei
Australia Bans China's Huawei (and maybe ZTE) from 5G Mobile Network Project
Washington Asks Allies to Drop Huawei
Huawei's Equipment Removed from UK Telecom BT's Network for Emergency Services
Australian Residents Reject Huawei Small Cell Boxes
Related: Arrest of Huawei Executive Causing Discontent Among Chinese Elites
Huawei Under Investigation by DoJ for Theft of T-Mobile Trade Secrets
The FBI Conducted a Sting Operation on Huawei During CES
The US Cannot Crush us, Says Huawei Founder
(Score: 5, Insightful) by PartTimeZombie on Wednesday March 20 2019, @07:21PM (30 children)
My country will not ostracize the US, presumably because we're scared of what you might do to us, as we're small and harmless.
Germany, however might have had enough.
The US spied on the German Chancellor's phone communications.
Then you elected a President that seems to think NATO is past it's use by date.
Then you sent them an ambassador who is interfering in local politics.
You're not doing yourselves any favours with your friends.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 20 2019, @07:31PM (23 children)
We know, but as you can see from many of the more prolific commenters here the US was hijacked by trolls. There is little we can do but wait to see if we can survive this shit storm, and if we do THEN we find out if we can pass some sane legislation.
The big problem is so many US citizens have been brainwashed into blind faith, and it is SO BAD that we have many people actively supporting Trump despite the mountain of evidence that he is a horrible person in just about every single way. As we see on here facts don't matter, just the blind faith.
We shall see how it shakes out, but if we don't get election reform at the minimum then the US is fucked.
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Wednesday March 20 2019, @07:44PM (19 children)
How does "election reform" work if nobody is elected to implement it?
And, if such "heroic" people do get elected, why would you need "election reform"?
Election reform is done in the voting booth, by the voter.
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 3, Interesting) by PartTimeZombie on Wednesday March 20 2019, @08:10PM (10 children)
I don't really know is the short answer. I have never voted for any candidate who campaigned on an election reform platform, but despite that I have lived through several minor and major reforms of the electoral system in my country.
It is always something that is debated vigorously, and implemented slowly but it happens. Ditching first-past the-post voting is the big one in my lifetime. The only people who think that was a mistake are a few very wealthy powerful business people who now have less influence than they had.
It strikes me as odd that the US set up an electoral system in the 18th century, then decided it was perfect and the founding fathers could do no wrong, so it cannot be reformed.
Follow the money I suppose.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by DannyB on Wednesday March 20 2019, @08:26PM
Rich people afraid that a true direct democracy would result in the voters voting to narrow the wealth gap.
Every performance optimization is a grate wait lifted from my shoulders.
(Score: 1, Disagree) by fustakrakich on Wednesday March 20 2019, @08:33PM (8 children)
In the US the problem is the voter. Look at the class of people they nominate on the ballot and in the primaries. The system itself is still an accurate reflection of voter mentality. And every issue can be traced back to them. It costs the voter nothing to turn their back on corruption, except it might cost them their little piece of it. Lose that big fat defense contract, and he's out of a job at the cruise missile factory.
Yes, always follow the money. More than that, follow the desire.
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 20 2019, @09:41PM (7 children)
Ranked choice voting fixes that, but you just keep repeating "the problem is with the voter." That accusation fixes nothing and just adds to the apathy. I'm starting to think you push that message for alternative reasons.
(Score: 0, Troll) by fustakrakich on Wednesday March 20 2019, @09:44PM (6 children)
Ranked choice voting fixes that
You fail to explain how. The voters are responsible for who gets on the ballot and who wins. You're just blame passing.
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 20 2019, @10:00PM
I will assume the that the person who modded this troll is trying to suppress the truth about himself. Typical knee-jerk response. And of course, the partisanship (tribalism) kicks in.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 20 2019, @10:24PM (2 children)
And you just fail. badly.
Don't worry, was not I who troll modded you. Feel free to use your favorite search engine to find out about ranked choice voting, if you are incapable of seeing how that would help the current situation in the US then you've got bigger, more personal, problems.
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Wednesday March 20 2019, @10:34PM (1 child)
show where it already has helped. Show me how more qualified people get on the ballot. It can be done just as easily in the American system if people take the initiative to become informed and act on the information available to them right now. It only requires the votes, nothing more.
The problem is purely psychological. Ranked choice will not make the voter act any more rational than they do now. You just break the tribes into smaller antagonistic groups.
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 2) by exaeta on Thursday March 21 2019, @12:08AM
The Government is a Bird
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 20 2019, @11:13PM (1 child)
S/N - the forum to get an education.
Homework [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Wednesday March 20 2019, @11:53PM
Thank you! That was very helpful!
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 20 2019, @09:05PM (7 children)
They would be heroic, no quotes needed. Very real possibility of having their lives ruined / ended over election reform.
Just because one election might favor the actual people's choice does not mean election reform is not needed. You keep repeating that point about the voters but that is a total lie. Voters can't vote for national election reform, only for their representatives. You are placing the blame on the people stuck in a broken system, yes indeededly doodley we NEED election reform so it isn't a constant battle of "money vs. will of the people".
(Score: 0, Troll) by fustakrakich on Wednesday March 20 2019, @09:41PM (6 children)
You are placing the blame on the people stuck in a broken system
They broke it themselves. They are still free to nominate and elect whoever they want. It's nobody else's fault if they choose to be strung along by mass media propaganda.
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 20 2019, @10:03PM (1 child)
All these Troll mods! Looks like a sensitive nerve was struck! Too bad the reaction is always the same. This is why Trump/Clinton wins every time. They reflect their fan base perfectly, and they are hard at work here keeping the charade running.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 20 2019, @11:18PM
Well wasn't from myself, the AC fust replied to, so most likely fust's comment was modded troll because it adds nothing new and just repeats the same opinion.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 20 2019, @11:16PM (3 children)
Blame the victim won't get you sympathy.
If you can explain your point without deprecation, you may get past trollmoding.
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Wednesday March 20 2019, @11:57PM (2 children)
Oh please! Show me where I blame the "victim". In fact explain to me who is the "victim". It's worth the Troll mod to tell you that you're full of shit, and are just whining at this point.
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 21 2019, @01:34AM (1 child)
I see you're not after a normal discussion, you just feel the need to purge your frustrations no matter if they pertain to TFA, S/N or just your SO experiencing a headache (a.k.a. not-enough-sex syndrome).
I'd suggest you go fuck yourself and stop wasting our time.
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Thursday March 21 2019, @02:41AM
Eh, whatever... You're just lashing out with nothing to say.
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 20 2019, @10:08PM (2 children)
We have a mountain of evidence Trump is doing a great job too. Economy, unemployment numbers, stopping our precipitous slide into globalization, pushback against open borders, dropping severely bad trade deals, and hundreds of other things.
Try to see that you are a victim of brainwashing when you don't recall any of these things but only think he is horrible and his supporters only support horrible things.
"Election reform" pushed by Democrats seems to include 16 year olds voting, illegal immigrants voting, and destruction of states rights via Electoral College, all for Democrats to take and hold power, that is exactly what we don't need!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 20 2019, @11:52PM
You call that mountain Dew?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 21 2019, @05:18PM
Have you seen the PDF from the EU on toll sanctions against the US, that was made entirely because of Mr. Trump?
http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2018/may/tradoc_156909.pdf [europa.eu]
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday March 20 2019, @08:29PM (1 child)
I remember a week or so ago reading a news article where Angela Merkel said something like, . . . it had become quite apparent in the EU that the US no longer cares about Europeans or about what they think. (not an exact quote)
If she were so bold as to be quoted saying something like that, there is probably a deeper resentment already in place.
Every performance optimization is a grate wait lifted from my shoulders.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 21 2019, @01:04AM
You think so? I'm a EU citizen who not only knows quite a lot of Germans, but also works together with them.
The current situation is increasingly that Germans see the US as an (unfriendly) occupation power.
Most Germans that I spoke want to actively get rid of all US military personal on their soil.
Consider that Germany is the heart and soul of the EU's economy.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Wednesday March 20 2019, @09:21PM (1 child)
Conversely, Germany has sloppy security practices. They wouldn't have even known, if US intelligence hadn't leaked it far and wide.
So how are they going to hear about Chinese spying?
(Score: 3, Funny) by c0lo on Wednesday March 20 2019, @11:20PM
Simple, from leaked US intelligence. (grin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Wednesday March 20 2019, @11:58PM (1 child)
> You're not doing yourselves any favours with your friends.
I highlighted where the confusion lies.
The US is always acting first in its own best interest (that's normal).
The rest of the world is divided into enemies, potential enemies, harmless hostiles, harmless neutrals, obedients, customers, unofficial colonies and protectorates, specific suppliers, places to hide your cash, and Israel.
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Thursday March 21 2019, @12:30AM
That's normal for the US. Other countries have divided the world into some of the categories you listed there, but they also have friends, and family too.
As long as the US can continue to spend $800 billion every year on its military, not really having friends is not a problem. when the day comes that you cannot fight two or three wars at once you might find friends are a handy thing to have.