Tariffs and sky high audio prices.

"China is not like Germany. They don’t have a workforce so uber educated and skilled they can not only design but also build a Porsche."

What Germany does not have is uber-educated skilled workforce. At least not in needed numbers.

What China does have is the most Porsches sold in the world.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/19/germany-passes-immigration-law-to-lure-non-eu-skilled-...

https://newsroom.porsche.com/fallback/en/company/porsche-vehicle-deliveries-third-quarter-2018-clear...

What China has is automakers like BMW, Volvo, Buick and other makes being made in China, for the Chinese market, with the eventuality that they will export to other parts of the globe. China may be around 5 years behind in chip manufacturing but they have 40% of the global phone market.

Saying they live in bunk beds in slave labor is true for some parts of the country but how is it any different for some parts of this country? Ever been to some of the poorer parts of the Appalachians? How about coal country? We had sharecroppers until the ’60s living in deplorable conditions.

People said American labor couldn’t build any of the Japanese or German models here because of the unskilled labor but we build them to the same standard as their home countries. Just wait and see how China fares in the near term as they ramp up their industries even more.

How is it that they can send 12GW up to 3,293 kilometers and the best we can do is 1.5 GW for about 700 kilometers? They built the lines so their coal plants can send power across the country but instead, are going to solar and wind to send power back to the area of the coal plants. They employ UHVDC (high voltage direct current transmission) which is more stable and flexible bypassing unsynchronized AC systems.

The biggest HVDC line we have was built in 1961, in California, and operates at 500KV, and hasn't been improved much since it's inception. To make it better would mean some others wouldn't fare that well anymore.

Only Walmart is bigger than the company that runs their power grids, State Grid. India is using their tech and Oklahoma wind farms tried to use it to send power but Arkansas, back by this administration, killed the project to single out and support more coal plant operations using the less efficient system. It would have reduced emissions by up to 80% at no extra cost but someone is playing favorites.

All the best,
Nonoise

Inna sez ...

"Black people made an enormous contribution as well."

Little known facts:

Duke Ellington composed over 2000 pieces of music, including several symphonies. 

Freddie Green played rhythm guitar for the Count Basie orchestra for over 50 years and was the driving force behind the orchestra. 

Charlie Parker never played the same idea twice.

Bud Powell was a genius. 

Dinah Washington sang "Blue Gardenia" better than anyone on the planet before or since. 

Billie Holliday was a tortured, but beautiful soul.

Need I say more.

Frank

PS: Sorry about getting off topic, but this something I'm really passionate about.

"...automakers like BMW, Volvo, Buick and other makes being made in China, for the Chinese market, with the eventuality that they will export to other parts of the globe."

I avoided mentioning it but now when you touched it, Volvo XC 60 used to be produced in China and imported to the USA. It has changed recently. I believe that Volvo S90 is still made only in China. It is sold most everywhere.

"Need I say more."

Yes.

Chuck Berry.