Free Republic

NEW YORK - I was just out in Silicon Valley, checking in with high-tech entrepreneurs about the state of their business. I wouldn't say they were universally gloomy, but I did detect something I hadn't detected before: a real undertow of concern that America is losing its competitive edge vis-à-vis China, India, Japan and other Asian tigers, and that the Bush team is deaf, dumb and blind to this situation. Several executives explained to me that they were opening new plants in Asia - not because of cheaper labor. Labor is a small component now in an automated high-tech manufacturing...

<p>Rare it is in politics and life to get a second chance at a huge opportunity. But by reversing a catastrophic decision of the Federal Communications Commission that has paralyzed America's telecom industry, a U.S. court has given the Bush administration a new chance to escape the blame for killing broadband in the U.S.</p>

<p>Apart from its steel tariffs, the Bush Administration's biggest economic blunder has been the hash it has made of telecom regulation. The good news is that a federal court has just handed the White House a chance to make amends.</p>

As corporate America becomes increasingly comfortable with offshore development, it's sending substantially more sophisticated IT work overseas. Companies such as Google Inc. are turning to foreign workers not for their willingness to work for lower wages but for their technological prowess. Google is advertising for highly skilled IT help at its recently opened research and development facility in Bangalore, India. These employees will be involved in all aspects of Google's computer engineering work: conception, research, implementation and deployment. "Bangalore is the so-called Silicon Valley of India, and there is a large pool of talented software engineers there," said Krishna Bharat,...

<p>Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger likes to say that if he could sell some of his movies, he can surely sell California. But even if he succeeds in getting the major workers' comp and regulatory reforms he wants, California's business climate and its overall job picture will need a lot more attention.</p>

WICHITA, Kan. — Boeing is exploring the sale of its 75-year-old manufacturing facility in Wichita, a complex nearly as big as its Everett plant. The potential sale is outlined in an internal strategic-planning document provided to The Seattle Times by a company insider. The document — key elements of which are supported by sources inside and close to the company — presents a long-range vision that maintains Boeing's strong role in the Puget Sound area, while shrinking its presence throughout the rest of the country. The timing of any sale was unclear in the document, and no potential buyers were...

<p>Other nations zip by USA in high-speed Net race By Jim Hopkins, USA TODAY LaBelle Management fights a poky dial-up Internet connection every morning to see how 13 restaurants did the day before. The company in Mount Pleasant, Mich., can't get high-speed Internet to all its 46 restaurants and hotels in Michigan and Indiana because it is either unavailable or too expensive. "I dread dial-up," says tech chief Michael Reed.</p>

The National Interest versus Corporate InterestBy William R. Hawkins Thursday, November 13, 2003 On November 7, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the conference report on the 2004 Defense Authorization bill (H.R. 1588) with a much weakened version of its "buy American" program. Under the original proposal as crafted by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-CA), all critical components in a weapon system would have had to be American-made and the overall system had to be 65 percent American. Those two requirements were eliminated under intense pressure from the Bush Administration, whose commitment to the recovery of American...

<p>HONG KONG — Chip makers ranging from giants Motorola and Texas Instruments to younger mid-tier companies are finding that letting others manufacture their technology-intensive products makes good business sense. The move toward a "fabless" business model, where firms focus on chip design and marketing but leave capital-intensive production to others, is helping drive down costs for makers of chips that power gadgets from PCs to cell phones and DVD players.</p>

Citing national-security concerns, two Democratic lawmakers are engaged in a last-ditch effort to halt plans for the transfer of an Indiana factory that produces critical technology used in the guidance systems of U.S. "smart bombs" to the People's Republic of China. The Department of Defense denies any impropriety, but some observers are asking: Is it a case of politics as usual, or a cover-up? The Magnequench factory (originally known as UGIMAG) was sold in August 2000 to a consortium that included Chinese interests. In 2001, it was announced the plant would be shut down. The factory is responsible for producing...

AMERICA'S CHINA SYNDROME Beijing acquires more U.S. technology Transfer of high-tech equipment result of long-range espionage Posted: March 6, 2003 5:00 p.m. Eastern By Scott L Wheeler © 2003 News World Communications Inc. Outraged U.S. technology experts and documents obtained by Insight indicate that the acquisition and subsequent transfer of high-tech rare-earth-magnet equipment and technology to the People's Republic of China is the result of a long-range espionage plan by the late "Paramount Leader" Deng Xiaoping directly involving two of Deng's sons-in-law. The revelations come as Magnequench Inc., a company partially owned by the San Huan New Materials and Hi-Tech...

Zhang Hong, right, now the chairman of Magnequench, is married to Deng Nan, shown above with her late father, “Paramount Leader” Deng Xiaoping. Outraged U.S. technology experts and documents obtained by Insight indicate that the acquisition and subsequent transfer of high-tech rare-earth-magnet equipment and technology to the People's Republic of China (PRC) is the result of a long-range espionage plan by the late "Paramount Leader" Deng Xiaoping directly involving two of Deng's sons-in-law. The revelations come as Magnequench Inc., a company partially owned by the San Huan New Materials and Hi-Tech Co. -- itself at least partially owned by the...

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use. An important U.S. high-tech manufacturer is shutting down its American operations, laying off hundreds of workers and moving sophisticated equipment now being used to make critical parts for smart bombs to the People's Republic of China [PRC], Insight has learned. Indianapolis-based Magnequench Inc. has not yet publically announced the closing of its Valparaiso, Ind., factory, but Insight has confirmed that the company will shut down this year and relocate at least some of its high-tech machine tools to Tianjin, China. Word of the shutdown comes as the company is producing critical...

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - XO Communications Inc., the telephone company controlled by billionaire investor Carl Icahn, said on Friday it has offered more than $700 million to acquire bankrupt high-speed communications company Global Crossing Ltd. Singapore Technologies Telemedia already has an agreement to pay $250 million for a 61.5-percent stake in Global Crossing, which filed for bankruptcy protection in January 2002 under a massive debt load, a glut of high-speed network capacity, and slim demand. The bankruptcy court must rule on the deal with Singapore Technologies before any new bids for Global Crossing can be considered. IDT Corp., a telecommunications...

Yahoo! News   Sun, Jun 15, 2003 Thu Jun 12, 5:27 PM ET NEW YORK (Reuters) - Regional phone company XO Communications Inc. (OTC BB:XOCM.OB - news) on Thursday sweetened its bid to acquire Global Crossing (Other OTC:GBLXQ - news) and said it is willing to bid for either the debt or the assets to take control of the bankrupt high-speed communications network operator. XO, controlled by billionaire investor Carl Icahn, offered more than $700 million wholly in cash for Global Crossings assets or said it would buy any or all of its bank debt at $210 per $1,000 at...

Judge Refuses to Hear IDT's Global Crossing Bid 1 hour, 2 minutes ago By Siobhan Kennedy NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. federal judge has dismissed attempts by telephone service provider IDT Corp. to scuttle the sale of bankrupt Global Crossing Ltd's assets to two Asian investors. IDT, citing a threat to U.S national security, on Monday said it would mount a rival $255 million to acquire Global Crossing's high-speed network, seeking to edge out a rival bid by Hong Kong's Hutchison Whampoa Ltd and Singapore Technologies Telemedia Pte. But in a court hearing Wednesday, Judge Robert Gerber, of the...

11:10PM Hutchison falls with Global Crossing deal on rocks (HUWHY, GBLXQ) by Allen Wan Shares of diversified Hong Kong conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa (HUWHY) fell 0.5 percent to HK$43.70 Wednesday amid media reports that its deal with Singapore Technologies Telemedia to buy troubled telecom giant Global Crossing (GBLXQ) was on the skids. The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which represents a number of agencies, has launched a rigorous 45-day review of the Global Crossing deal. The report said the U.S. government was concerned that foreign countries might use Global Crossing's 100,000-mile...

Pentagon to Oppose STT-Global Crossing Deal-SourceTue July 08, 2003 06:18 PM ET By Jeremy Pelofsky WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Singapore Technologies Telemedia's plan to buy a majority stake in bankrupt Global Crossing Ltd. GBLXQ.PK ran into trouble when U.S. officials said on Tuesday the government had national security concerns about the deal. Concerns by the Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security could make it difficult for STT, which is owned by an arm of the Singapore government, to complete its acquisition of a 61.5 percent stake in the telecommunications company. Defense Department officials cited national security concerns in a memorandum...

WASHINGTON (AP) - Richard Perle, a Defense Department adviser, said Friday he is helping bankrupt Global Crossing Ltd. try to win government approval of its sale to foreign companies, a deal that has prompted concerns about national security. Perle would receive $725,000 for his work, including $600,000 if the government approves Global Crossing's sale to a joint venture of two Asian firms, according to lawyers and others involved in the bankruptcy case. As chairman of the Defense Policy Board, Perle is covered by the government ethics prohibition on using public office for private gain. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld named him...

US Senate Panel Plans Look at Global Crossing Sale Mon Apr 7, 2:00 PM ET LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee plans to look into Global Crossing Ltd.'s planned sale of a majority stake to two Asian firms, the chairman of the panel's communications subcommittee said on Monday. The bankrupt fiber-optic network operator wants to sell a 61.5 percent stake to Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. of Hong Kong and Singapore Technologies Telemedia Pte., but national security officials have raised concerns about Hutchison's close ties to China. "We know the issue is out there and ... we're going to...