Chinese billionaire Jack Ma has not been seen in public for 2 months

Facebook, Google, Amazon etc. totally run a world monopoly in what they do as well. That’s exactly why they are under investigation in the US and has gotten into a ton of competition law-related troubles in European countries.

What are the odds we learn he has a bad dose of Coronavirus?

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Sure don’t disagree.

China doesn’t really have a strong physical retail sector as they skipped it and went to e-commerce. China internet doesn’t work like our internet as walled garden. So marketing in China is basically paying Alibaba for their keywords and marketing service. They practically own the retail sector and also the payments and lending sector.

That’s just scratching the surface but it’s all kind of obscene. The point was making is that their level of monopoly in China is far greater, especially if you factor in Cainiao(logistics), Hema(supermarket) , Aliyun(cloud computing) , the original Alibaba manufacturing platform. They have become a part of the infrastructure of how China operates, but most of their shareholders are in US and Japan, which the State views as a threat.

This is from November btw.

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Although true, we could say the same about ants. Depending on a persons morals and such, the china way is not acceptable. However, that is not, by proxy, saying the US way is acceptable…

If the end goal is getting things done quick without worry about rights and environment, why not just fast track back to slavery and be done with the prolonged foreplay.

Complicated questions right? Also depends on where you are in the world, for people in developing countries the equation is a lot different

For me the biggest problem with China is not so much the system but the party itself. The analogy I make is Godfather 2, when the Corleone family goes legitimate and runs real businesses. The CCP are rotten to the core but they have managed to employ skilled technocrats to keep the country running well.If you cross them, you will find the gangster side is still there.

Living in China can be OK, unless things go wrong. The real value of democracy is that it gives the weak a voice. In terms of growth, development, reform and innovation we(democratic societies) are losing right now.

I can understand the average China apologist, I just think they ignore the dark side of the system because as a foreigner it generally works for them.

Everything in China improved in the last decade, salaries, labor rights, purchasing power, food safety, infrastructure, poverty levels etc.

The US hasn’t built a new urban mass transit system since the 1980s, it’s tech center SF is a poverty ridden homeless warzone and Donald Trump is the president. I get why someone from the US who had been living in China the last two decades would want to speak up for China.

Democracy is kind of a work in progress , but we have lost the way. We need to analytically look at China and wherever and see what is better, worse and what we can learn from. This kind of dismissive binary “EVIL” “Good guy” thinking isnt constructive and kinda why our societies are where we are.

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I would even argue that in American democracy, the weak doesn’t have a voice. Because either they find ways to systematically disenfranchise them (for example felony convictions) or the rich just have far more money and lobbying power that the weak never gets a voice. You think America’s current health system would stand if the weak really were listened to? Only rich people like it, the poor not so much.

Fact is all countries have problems, and say what you will about the CCP but they have been good at achieving their goals.

Good and evil isn’t really black and white.

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“He hasn’t done an entrepreneurial activity in the past few months…I don’t have a problem with this.” -Forumosa China apologists (probably)

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Since this is a post about his disappearance, probably should mention he has reappeared, apparently after being suitably chastened i.e. threatened by the government.

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I think I said something like in the middle of a global pandemic and recession, won’t cry a river about a billionaire who profits from the blood sweat and tears of the 996 culture he promoted and is a CCP member. He is a cog in the machine and a player in the game. He just lost a quarter of his wealth , people are losing their jobs and houses mate.

So boo boo hoo

At least it should be a lesson to CCP shills.
No matter how powerful you are and how much you boot lick, they will chew you and spit you out, if it suits them.

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One US Economist who is an expert on China basically said in this era, there is “no such thing as normal business in China”. It’s pay to play and anyone doing business there will be forced to make concessions.

He particularly highlighted Tim Cook and said he has definitely had to compromise with Beijing

Really ? I feel that’s too negative influenced by the US in particular.
I think democracy is flourishing in many places. In Europe democracy has backed and continues to back unprecedented freedom and prosperity. Patchier in different continents but definitely seems to be doing reasonable well across the word .

Well my friends in UK don’t seem happy with the system right now. Not sure about Ireland.

Yeah US and UK need huge reform

In the UK democracy is slowly working through all the societal and national issues there in a peaceful way while still allowing people their freedoms and not allowing despots to take over . Its messy but it’s fairly robust too. They need to update some of the democratic systems there such as first past the post voting and manage referendum processes better.

Thats what I mean lost the way. It’s the best bad system but needs constant reform for the moment. Not just “we do things this way because our ancestors did”.

Kind of the spirit of reform seems in trouble. In a lot of countries a two party system seems to be not fit for purpose anymore.

Also it’s not the Pancea for all problems,look at ex Soviet countries

I think he’s just being a loyal Mainland Chinese National and signing over all his wealth and companies to relatives of Xi Jinping.