A Better Approach

[Jolly]

What do we do about semiconductors?

https://defenseopinion.com/to-protect-national-security-next-administration-must-map-out-better-approach-to-semiconductors/760/

[Axtremus]

1. Preserve Taiwan. Make it a state in the United States. Make it a NATO member. Draw up a strip of land in the U. S. (and you can draw it from the bluest of states if you want to) and call it New Taiwan - move the Taiwanese there and make them US citizens should the CCP ever decide to roll its armed forces across the strait.

2. Elect Harris-Walz and the Democrats in general.

Regardless of who wins in the upcoming presidential election, the stubborn objective reality of today’s Silicon Age means the next administration must both understand the semiconductor industry and its pivotal, fundamental role in all aspects of national security policies.

Trump is incapable of the above, Trump can be easily influenced by flattery and money (recall his flip-flop on TikTok), a Trump administration will be more likely to repel rather than attract talents capable of the above. Harris-Walz is the much more promising bet for an effective national semi conductor strategy/policy.

[Jolly]

I may be wrong, but in about a week or so, you won't have to worry much about Harris or Walz.

If Trump wins, both have shot their wads on the national stage.

I would advise y'all to look somewhere else than a deep Blue bastion for a national candidate. Look at Polis or Shapiro, for example.

[xenon]

I don't understand the point the article is trying to make. You can't control Intel's exports. Intel's export is the x86 processor that goes into every modern Windows-based PC. OF COURSE it would be found in Russian military equipment. How could it not? Russians don't really make semiconductors. Not having the latest generation isn't a big deal for most applications, unless we're talking about the race to train the most advanced AI models - and Intel is irrelevant there anyways, that's nvidia's domain.

The problem - the only real problem - is security of the most cutting edge manufacturing facilities. Which are currently in Taiwan.

Intel is on the verge of collapsing as a viable cutting edge semiconductor manufacturer. Government dollars can't really correct that.

[Horace]

Well, AMD goes into lots of Windows PCs too.

[xenon]

AMD is all made on TSMC in Taiwan - so irrelevant from a semicon security standpoint.

Intel is the only cutting-edge-ish silicon that gets made in the U.S.

Apple silicon (mac, iphone), nvidia (AI), qualcomm (android) - even the latest Intel chips (this is temporary while Intel gets its shit together... hopefully) all get made on TSMC in Taiwan.

[Horace]

Micron is a US company. Maybe a good play for those who think geopolitical matters might weigh in favor of US semi-conductors. Its stock is notorious for not being able to hold gains, and for trading near book value.

[xenon]

What I don't know is how sophisticated the vast majority of military silicon needs to be. As an example - many modern airplanes are still running on 486 silicon from the 90's, because the software needs to be absolutely bullet proof and battle tested.

But what we know for sure: if the U.S. got cut off from TSMC chips, its economy would go into deep recession because so much of the consumer/business electronics space depends on it.... the tech sector would collapse.

China and the U.S. fighting each other is idiocy. Feels like economic suicide for both sides.