I don't know who is really doing this or what the impact will be but let's pretend for a moment that the chinese government is responsible. They are largely funding our government. We need each other.
I wonder if a serious problem with the world is due to secrets that allow some to have power over others. For example, a company with a patent on a drug that costs $80K has power over those who will die without it. If you can't afford it, have you seriously harmed the company if you violate the patent to manufacture it in a 3rd world country for people who could never pay for the drug. When is human life more important that a company's right to a patent (or information)?
The chinese have a serious problem in the form of several hundred million people who need to be moved out of poverty. To help them get there they seem to be mining a precious resource: information in 1st world countries. Is this different (or worse) than 1st world countries mining precious resources in the 3rd world?
What is the net result? China will use this information to make itself wealthy enough to buy more of our goods? China will acquire the ability to make our goods cheaper than we can make them and force us to work harder?
I'm not saying "stealing" is "right" but it seems to be an important way all 1st world countries became richer. The notion of "right" is suspect given that history is written by the winner.
My experience five years ago was that regular African people were not too keen on the Chinese mining companies that had set up shop. But perhaps there was not enough competition to mine more locally.
I wonder if a serious problem with the world is due to secrets that allow some to have power over others. For example, a company with a patent on a drug that costs $80K has power over those who will die without it. If you can't afford it, have you seriously harmed the company if you violate the patent to manufacture it in a 3rd world country for people who could never pay for the drug. When is human life more important that a company's right to a patent (or information)?
The chinese have a serious problem in the form of several hundred million people who need to be moved out of poverty. To help them get there they seem to be mining a precious resource: information in 1st world countries. Is this different (or worse) than 1st world countries mining precious resources in the 3rd world?
What is the net result? China will use this information to make itself wealthy enough to buy more of our goods? China will acquire the ability to make our goods cheaper than we can make them and force us to work harder?
I'm not saying "stealing" is "right" but it seems to be an important way all 1st world countries became richer. The notion of "right" is suspect given that history is written by the winner.