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Comment by ceejayoz | Hacker News Reader

> In addition, ceasing all export of respirators produced in the United States would likely cause other countries to retaliate and do the same, as some have already done. If that were to occur, the net number of respirators being made available to the United States would actually decrease.

This is a very good point. We really don't want China cutting us off right now.

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> This is a very good point.

It's actually kind of a terrible point, because they're completely different countries. The ones who are trying to buy masks from the US aren't the ones selling them to the US.

But export restrictions are also kind of silly. Why not just outbid the other guy for the masks? Then the higher price will bring more producers into the market faster, which is really the most important thing anyway.

> The ones who are trying to buy masks from the US aren't the ones selling them to the US.

Not always true.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/31/pence-task-force-co...

> Last week, a Trump administration official working to secure much-needed protective gear for doctors and nurses in the United States had a startling encounter with counterparts in Thailand.

> The official asked the Thais for help—only to be informed by the puzzled voices on the other side of the line that a U.S. shipment of the same supplies, the second of two so far, was already on its way to Bangkok.

...and then they stopped sending them over there.

If you already need more than you have, selling what you have is typically only done by mistake. Its the places that can make more than they need that are selling them.

It is also not their call or place to be worrying about international foreign policy/trade implications. That is explicitly the Federal Government's purview. Given the invocation of the DPA, which they may challenge in court if they wish; but as everyone is so fond of saying when the law appears to be on their side, "The law is the law." I don't see the courts even flinching on this point either. The President gave the order, the order is lawful. Just because you think it's a bad idea (and I sympathize), doesn't mean you just get to ignore it. Then again, I love me some Civil Disobedience (though now is really not the best time for it).

Alternatively we can throw in the towel on the whole "nation of laws, not men" thing, and just let companies do what they want, but I'd rather not live in that cyberpunk dystopia waiting to happen.

Though the irony of the moment does strike me as humorous. The overall credibility of the Federal apparatus is at such an all time low, we've got multi-nationals doing foreign policymaking for them.

I don't know whether to laugh or weep.

They've every right to say "we'll comply, but we also think this is a bad idea".

This is true; and I never intended to communicate otherwise.

You mean the 68 countries that already restrict the export of masks?

Or Germany ;)

They make the machines that make the masks.

Also ventilators ( eg. Philips and many other European countries)

And a big chance that the vaccine is coming from Europe as well

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52092395

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3077428/ne...

Some claim the masks are deliberately faulty

"Factories are skipping QC and sacrificing quality in favor of volume, and also scammers are trying to cash in on the skyrocketing demand" is way more likely than "China is making deliberately faulty masks". Come on now.

You haven't seen the videos maybe? People spitting in masks (in China, purportedly) and doorknobs and elevator (in Europe, purportedly). Not a proof and not directly related but I wouldn't put it past China. It shocks me when they claim they have 0 new corona virus cases. If they're lying about something as basic as this, what else are they lying about.

There's been multiple people in the US coughing on lettuce, lick produce etc. Does that mean you wouldn't put it past America that masks exported to Canada will be laced with covid?

It's a meaningless thing to debate. To the extent coercion comes in to play, trust breaks down, so you can never know what's really going on. That's why bullies lose in the long run, but probably so does everyone.

Or China rubbing their feet on masks before packing them.

Negligence is more likely than malice, but the result is the same either way -- what good are masks that don't work?

We're not doing much better.

"Alabama county received 5,000 rotted masks from national stockpile": https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/491015-alabama-coun...

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