zlacker

It doesn’t matter if it will work or not, this is something that some large U.S. companies have been prepping for, the slow process of starting to move manufacturing to the U.S., or at least to play games to make it look like it, if tariffs can be avoided.

Personally, as much as I accept that the top chips were made in Taiwan, I don’t think it’s impossible in theory for top chips to be made in the U.S.- but it would require massive changes. Starting with the culture. We’d need to turn off the T.V., work longer hours, and homeschool kids for 15 hours per day with the world’s best educational resources. And even when other countries’ kids and parents do that, they still don’t succeed.

But, I think China will end up being self-sufficient, not needing the rest of the world. In a few years, they’ll be charging an arm and a leg for AI. The rest of the world won’t be able to compete with because we don’t have adequate energy production. They’ll also acquire the ability to make the chips they need.

We could just give it up, and I think that’s where most of us are- watching fascism slowly take hold, knowing we’re fucked and the next thing we’ll see is news of a full-scale global war.

In the meantime, maybe we’ll start making shitty products like Britain did in the mid-20th century.

>>vghdil+(OP)
I agree that the cultural difference is the biggest differentiator. Asians put more emphasis on education and trading off work life balance.

>>vghdil+(OP)
>In a few years, they’ll be charging an arm and a leg for AI.

In my humble opinion, AI is only useful as a mechanism of oppression, so the fewer countries able to use it against their people, the better.

>>vghdil+(OP)
TSMC already manufactures chips in the US, much of their value add comes from European companies like ASML and Zeiss, and the fundamental technology EUV was invented in the US.

> and homeschool kids for 15 hours per day with the world’s best educational resources

Taiwan doesn't have the world's best educational resources - what language do you think they're written in?

Btw, when they did try to do this, they ended up with a national epidemic of myopia and had to make the kids go outside.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/01/shortsighted-t...

>>astran+7d
> Taiwan doesn't have the world's best educational resources - what language do you think they're written in?

That’s not what they were saying. They were saying that in order to compete globally, the U.S. should ramp up education, which is valid, because Asians have dominated in higher education, which is needed to have first-class R&D, which is needed to lead in manufacturing and product development. The reason the U.S. excels is that they both outsource that to China and other countries as well as import top talent from China and other countries, but that has slowed and will slow.

> Btw, when they did try to do this, they ended up with a national epidemic of myopia and had to make the kids go outside.

You’re arguing for and against yourself. What point are you trying to make?

>>hnterk+zg
The US doesn't outsource product development to China. Final assembly isn't product development. And in Taiwan's case TSMC is basically their only highly-advanced company like this, so I don't know if I find it very convincing. Samsung and Intel are not really that far behind either.

> You’re arguing for and against yourself.

No such thing as for or against, just things to be aware of.