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thespandrell's profile
Spandrell
Spandrell
Spandrell
@thespandrell

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Spandrell

@thespandrell

Sinologist and historian, writing at Bloody Shovel. Discoverer of IQ Shredders and Bioleninism.

Joined November 2017

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    Spandrell‏ @thespandrell Sep 7

    Can somebody explain to me why is it a good idea to operate the utilities (water, power) of a foreign country? China is buying up a lot of them, but in inconsequential places like Zambia or Portugal. It’s like they can jack up prices at will. It’s heavily regulated.

    4:14 AM - 7 Sep 2018
    • 2 Retweets
    • 23 Likes
    • countervailing gehenna Boz Steinkalt OldJoeMosley Eoin Chadwick EARTHEATER Saradin MC_Enthusiast 🎃E. Harding🎃 peter victor
    12 replies 2 retweets 23 likes
      1. New conversation
      2. Arvid Harbinger‏ @mk2000 Sep 7
        Replying to @thespandrell

        It's a very steady an slow paced business. Planning is a matter of decades. Customers will never flock to a competition for any reason.

        1 reply 0 retweets 1 like
      3. Spandrell‏ @thespandrell Sep 7
        Replying to @mk2000

        If it were that profitable they wouldn’t have sold to Chinese companies, would they.

        2 replies 0 retweets 2 likes
      4. Duarte‏ @notduarte Sep 7
        Replying to @thespandrell @mk2000

        In Portugal's case it was both the desire to privatise everything as possible, for ideological reasons, and to get some cash, as we were still under the Troika intervention.

        1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes
      5. Spandrell‏ @thespandrell Sep 7
        Replying to @notduarte @mk2000

        The final purchase has been finalized just a few months ago. I get Portugal selling. I don't get China buying.

        2 replies 0 retweets 1 like
      6. Hypertorus‏ @Rite_Brite Sep 7
        Replying to @thespandrell @notduarte @mk2000

        For Portugal, I'll guess the Chinese figured they could make it turn a profit by cutting out all the featherbedding. For Zambia, like others have said, it's about making sure their other investments actually get utility service.

        0 replies 0 retweets 1 like
      7. End of conversation
      1. New conversation
      2. Spoopy Von Jägerbomber [beer liker]  🍺  🍻‏ @vonjagerbombr Sep 7
        Replying to @thespandrell

        Because it's war. Why can't you lot get it through your head? Riddle me this, smarty pants: What are the focal points during military invasions? It's water, food, and manufacturing. If you control or destroy those, you will effectively be unopposed.

        2 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
      3. Spandrell‏ @thespandrell Sep 7
        Replying to @vonjagerbombr

        Portugal and Zambia. Dude. Portugal and Zambia. They can destroy those all they want.

        1 reply 0 retweets 3 likes
      4. Spoopy Von Jägerbomber [beer liker]  🍺  🍻‏ @vonjagerbombr Sep 7
        Replying to @thespandrell

        You didn't answer the question. Try again...

        1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes
      5. Spandrell‏ @thespandrell Sep 7
        Replying to @vonjagerbombr

        I'm not gonna waste more time with someone who thinks China is gonna invade Europe.

        1 reply 0 retweets 2 likes
      6. Spoopy Von Jägerbomber [beer liker]  🍺  🍻‏ @vonjagerbombr Sep 7
        Replying to @thespandrell

        Just answer the question.

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
      7. End of conversation
      1. New conversation
      2. Vaclavalyst‏ @Vaclavalyst Sep 7
        Replying to @thespandrell

        Sometimes an investment decision is just an investment decision. Not everyone who allocates capital is a 4D chessmaster. Note that owning a country's infrastructure doesn't necessarily give you power over them. In some ways, it gives them power over you; they can nationalize it.

        1 reply 1 retweet 6 likes
      3. Spandrell‏ @thespandrell Sep 7
        Replying to @Vaclavalyst

        My point exactly.

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
      4. End of conversation
      1. New conversation
      2. jamesd23x‏ @jamesd23x Sep 7
        Replying to @thespandrell

        The locals cannot run it competently, so the Chinese buy it up so that their people get something to drink and the lights running. At somepoint the Zambians are going to try to renationalize, whereupon the Chinese have grounds to foreclose on Zambia.

        1 reply 0 retweets 1 like
      3. Spandrell‏ @thespandrell Sep 7
        Replying to @jamesd23x

        They don't have the troops for that. Britain did.

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
      4. End of conversation
      1. ꙮvchinnikov‏ @ovchinnikov Sep 7
        Replying to @thespandrell

        You cannot jack up prices directly, but you can include a lot of hidden costs to siphon the money from the consumer.

        0 replies 1 retweet 5 likes
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      1. New conversation
      2. Ҋ҉ I҉ S҉ Ң҉ I҉ Җ҉ I҉‏‏ @NishikiPrestige Sep 7
        Replying to @thespandrell

        Could easily observe infrastructure development, probably gain access to government systems and military intel as well... OTOH how hard is it to hack Zambia?

        1 reply 0 retweets 4 likes
      3. Ҋ҉ I҉ S҉ Ң҉ I҉ Җ҉ I҉‏‏ @NishikiPrestige Sep 7
        Replying to @NishikiPrestige @thespandrell

        Or, less complex: insure energy suppliers run well enough for your planned resource extraction operations. Can't expect Zambians to meet market demands in a timely manner.

        0 replies 0 retweets 2 likes
      4. End of conversation
      1. Mar‏ @funga_bunga Sep 7
        Replying to @thespandrell

        occam's razor for weird business decisions: some kind of scam is going on

        0 replies 0 retweets 3 likes
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      1. The Observer‏ @ObserverWatches Sep 7
        Replying to @thespandrell

        Control of strategic resources? Making them dependent? Putting chemicals in the water to make the Africans gay?

        0 replies 0 retweets 1 like
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      1. jamesd23x‏ @jamesd23x Sep 7
        Replying to @thespandrell

        If you foreclose on Zambia for non payment of debt, everyone thinks you are a usurer. If you foreclose on Zambia for attempting to renationalize water and power, everyone thinks that if you do not foreclose, they will be in the dark with nothing to drink.

        0 replies 0 retweets 1 like
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