Google has just sold Motorola

[Mefisto]

Traditional American household brand facade for a Chinese state capitalist conglomerate. The second such job if you count IBM's PCs and the ThinkPad brand.

With Nokia gone and Blackberry on the ropes the choices for respectable brands is diminishing too fast to my liking.

[Gruntfuttock]

the choices for respectable brands is diminishing too fast to my liking.

How do you define "respectable"?

Lenovo still makes Thinkpad gear in the same factories using the same people as IBM did. Did those people stop being respectable?

[teginder81]

reckon Lenovo Motorola won't stand still with Android.

My guess is that with Lenovo's successful Windows Laptops and UltraBooks behind them, we'll soon have another Windows Mobile contender. I wouldn't see competition with Microsoft Nokia as much of a disadvantage (indeed thinking about it, I bet Lenovo was interested in Nokia..)

My thinking would be that with Lenovo's reliance on Microsoft Windows in mind, it pays them to help solidify the Windows brands.

[Mefisto]

How do you define "respectable"?

Lenovo still makes Thinkpad gear in the same factories using the same people as IBM did. Did those people stop being respectable?

Just like under national socialism, major companies under the Chinese version of state capitalism — especially companies operating in key fields such as communications (computers and all network services) — are not only allowed to operate but are actually supported by the State in exchange of promoting the State's objectives and policies.

The all-encompassing surveillance network over China and its vast western territories is neither developed, built nor solely run by Chinese state organs, but in deep cooperation with the appropriate industries.

We as individuals make our own value judgements with regards to those policies and whether or not we find them deserving our respect and support.


The German company IG Farben was not founded with the sole purpose to do evil, but once its operations were aligned in the interests of the State (dictatorship) it ended up participating in some wholesomely utilitarian but still less than respectable state policies, such as producing enough Zyklon B gas to murder 1.2 million "enemies of the state" (incidentally the same number that is estimated to have perished in Tibet after its peaceful liberation in 1950).


Whether I'd personally find individuals working for such companies to be respectable or not would depend on whether they have willingly and knowingly supported policies disrespecful of the basic rights of other people. I am mindful that organizations such as the NSA or the CCP (whose actions and objectives I personally find objectionable) can have individual employees or members worthy of my respect and even admiration.

I'm sure we can agree that people can have varying range of different criteria and value sets for determining the respecfulness of someone or something.


Motorola's current owners Google have spoken out against and refused to participate in what reasonable people would consider intrusive and illegal spying on the general public and I respect that. I am not aware of reasons to extend such respect to PRC companies as of yet.