The Pentagon is mad that Congress forced them to stop buying Chinese drones. Apparently there are no available replacements in some categories and even where there are, they are many times more expensive.

[–] Fuckass@hexbear.net 39 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

Rural communities have been using Huawei equipment for internet because it’s cheap and fast. The federal government became upset and demanded they rip everything and replace it with American parts. I think it costs like $12 billion, but the US didn’t even give the communities 50% of the required amount to switch over

[–] Frank@hexbear.net 24 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Sounds about right for US infrastructure.

[–] forcequit@hexbear.net 20 points 1 year ago

::: spoiler australia doing the same shit

Banned from tendering in the National Broadband Network in 2012, banned from participating in the 5G network in 2018, called for removal of surveillance/security cameras in 2018, funded undersea cables in the pacific to block Huawei in 2018, purchased Digicel to prevent Chinese involvement in 2021

US, UK, CAN & AU, 5eyes has been frothing over this for a while

The $2.1 billion deal to acquire and run Digicel Pacific is being funded largely by the government, which will provide $1.9 billion toward the acquisition.

Telstra said it would contribute $360 million and own 100 per cent of the company's ordinary equity.

"Australian officials were concerned about whether a Chinese company or potentially a Chinese state-owned entity might look to buy Digicel's Pacific arm and there were some geopolitical and geostrategic concerns about a Chinese company owning a major telecommunication company in the Pacific region, which is of course so close to Australia," said Amanda Watson, an expert in Pacific communications at the Australian National University.

That's especially since Digicel Pacific uses a 4,700km undersea cable from Sydney that was largely funded by the Australian government in 2018 in an effort to prevent PNG and the Solomon Islands from contracting Huawei for the project.

Ahh my bad, that was 3 years earlier instead

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-25/telstra-digicel-pacific-telecommunications-deal-finalised/100564976

[–] SexMachineStalin@hexbear.net 20 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Somehow on my phone in :estonia-burning: I can access RT and came across this article where the US was coping at South Africa to abandon it's partnerships with Huawei because "you need to use :lmayo::amerikkka: technologies". Anyways, South Africa told :amerikkka: to :PIGPOOPBALLS:

[–] Fuckass@hexbear.net 7 points 1 year ago

Africa: “W-“

US, in Africa: “GYNA!!! GYNA!!! GYNNNNAAAAAAHHHH!!!! hypersus ”

[–] Frank@hexbear.net 34 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I love watching Congress fuck over the Pentagon. Just the worst people in the world slapfighting over fake money. Probably a bad idea to let hundreds of lead huffing jet ski dealers whose only qualification is buying more TV add time than their opponents run a global empire.

[–] Tankiedesantski@hexbear.net 34 points 1 year ago (2 children)

My favorite instance of this was the US Army begging congress not to buy more Abrams tanks because they were already too expensive to maintain but congress overruling them and ordering them to buy more to keep the factories open.

[–] ShimmeringKoi@hexbear.net 24 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

frothingfash "Please, whatver you do just don't make us-

the-republican the-democrat "-Buy more Abrams, great idea, yes!"

[–] Zuzak@hexbear.net 14 points 1 year ago

Abrams printer go brrrrrrr brrrrrrrrrrrr

[–] Fuckass@hexbear.net 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

99% of the resistance to doing anything good is because the current bad thing provides jobs for like 500,000 people and no one wants to make an effort to help those people

[–] Tankiedesantski@hexbear.net 6 points 1 year ago

Just like the coal industry.