Whenever I see threads and comments about privacy-related or sensitive topics, I often see concerns about China in particular stealing all that data.
Why is China, a country across a vast ocean, is seen as a bigger threat in that regard than US itself? Unlike Chinese, the local government does have power over its residents and can actually use this information against you (and it does have a record for doing exactly that). The only places where Chinese espionage would be a concern (military, high-tech industry) lay way beyond what an everyday American faces regularly.
So, is it a new red scare, or is there a substance behind it that I fail to see?
Do I?
Of course I am aware that moving industry abroad has the potential to reduce the amount of local jobs and taxes, while also shifting the trade balance between the countries.
But, as things stand, the only thing keeping many American industries afloat is protectionist policies, which gradually degrade industry’s ability to be price-competitive even further. This is not sustainable, and there should be other approaches - otherwise, the American economy is a slow bomb.
And for all that circus, a regular American has to pay. A lot. In some industries, this literally leads to goods being sold for twice or more of their actual worth.