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The project was doomed from its inception because it was a top-down approach from the perspective of capital - pressure companies to move to the US, give them money to build their factories, and we’ll be manufacturing the best chips in 3 years. That approach only makes sense when you see labor as an afterthought. In reality, TSMC can’t build the factory because there are not enough workers who can build it, and America can’t give them subsidies because there’s no factory as promised. All the money in the world cannot fix this problem.
TSMC’s real value comes from the collective workforce that is advanced enough to run the manufacturing process in its entirety, starting from the construction of the plant itself. This should have been obvious from the start. They don’t even make their own equipment!What I am confused about is how TSMC is not indirectly controlled by the US government or some American entitity. I’m not an expert in this field so my assumption what that the US would have a hold over chip manufacturing seeing how crucial the industry is. But it turns out that TSMC has some degree of autonomy as observed from this firing.
I wish there were was a comprehensive book or article about this because I’m very confused.
TSMC is an entirely independent company based in Taiwan province. While the while the ROC government is a majority shareholder, that doesn’t entitle the government any special command ability moreso than just any other majority shareholder of a corporation. The US is not an investor and doesn’t technically have a control over foreign corporations.
One thing I’ve never understood is how are Americans going to be afford electronics if they manufacture their own microchips?
Sounds like you’re thinking one step ahead, whereas the burgersoisie are tearing the copper pipes out the walls. Economic rents is where the money’s at, the reproduction of the system they’re milking be damned.
exactly
At a time when it would be in the best interest of the US ruling class to stop the trend of US losing ground to China and start competing this is very dumb, the short term logic of capitalism is fucking over capitalists once again.
