Your Personal Views on Foreign Ownership of US firms and property?

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

Spanish utility Iberdrola offers to buy remaining shares to take 100% ownership of Avangrid​

Spanish utility Iberdrola is proposing to buy out the shares it doesn’t control in Central Maine Power’s parent company for about $2.5 billion.


I'm generally opposed to foreign ownership of media, utilities, banks and large blocks of real estate.

There's also the Saudi land issue in AZ and Chinese land deals around military bases among a number of other things.

 

[BoomerD]

I'm 100% against it.

 

[biostud]

Once you put a company on the market, it is free for all. If you don't want it to happen, don't put it on the market.

 

[eelw]

But the hot button topic is TikTok. Like how can the government force a foreign company to sell to an American company?

 

[sdifox]

But the hot button topic is TikTok. Like how can the government force a foreign company to sell to an American company?

It's forcing divestment of PRC ownership or they block TikTok from US networks. It's not the operation of TikTok, it's the enemy state ownership.

And PRC can bitch all it wants but they block US based social media in China, among other things.

 

[nOOky]

The company I work for "owns" a facility in China. Of course one worry is that the Chinese will just take it under the guise of some state security or something. I suppose the US could do the same if it became a problem. But generally I am not a big fan of foreign ownership of our sovereign soil.

 

[eelw]

Yeah it’s their right to block access. One country can’t dictate who owns and how they run a foreign entity.

 

[HomerJS]

But the hot button topic is TikTok. Like how can the government force a foreign company to sell to an American company?

IMO - the TikTok answer is easy. Tell the company the version made available in this country must be the same version available to Chinese people. If you don’t do that we will ban

 

[sdifox]

IMO - the TikTok answer is easy. Tell the company the version made available in this country must be the same version available to Chinese people. If you don’t do that we will ban

Eh? The version in PRC has direct feed to their government lol.

PRC spends more on internal security than armed forces.

 

[biostud]

The company I work for "owns" a facility in China. Of course one worry is that the Chinese will just take it under the guise of some state security or something. I suppose the US could do the same if it became a problem. But generally I am not a big fan of foreign ownership of our sovereign soil.

So is it a problem that I as a Dane (or a Danish capital fund) can invest in a US company or vice versa?

I don't believe so.

There is a problem if the investor is a state and especially a totalitarian one. So I can understand the wish to limit investment from Chinese or companies situated in other totalitarian countries, as they can easily be considered to be part of a political agenda.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

But the hot button topic is TikTok. Like how can the government force a foreign company to sell to an American company?

The article mentions a Spanish company owning an electric utility in Maine. I also mentioned the Saudi deal in AZ. There is the Australian ownership of an activist media outlet. And some states are moving to block some real estate deals.

The kiddie ticky thing is not on my radar.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

So is it a problem that I as a Dane (or a Danish capital fund) can invest in a US company or vice versa?

I don't believe so.

There is a problem if the investor is a state and especially a totalitarian one. So I can understand the wish to limit investment from Chinese or companies situated in other totalitarian countries, as they can easily be considered to be part of a political agenda.

Individual investment in US stocks is not an issue for me. Controlling interest by foreign corporations or governments is. Limit that to something under 20% with no voting rights.

 

[IronWing]

It's a bit complicated when "foreign" companies are often owned by US investors. On paper, the majority of metals mining companies in the US are foreign owned. Digging in, the these foreign companies list US investment firms as their largest shareholders. It turns out that rich people own stuff, no matter where the rich people live or the stuff is located.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

^^^ In those cases, it might be who calls the shots that makes the difference. The US investors, or the off-shore management.

 

[eelw]

Actually what about the Murdochs? Aussies bringing their influence to the US.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

^^^ Mentioned above.


They sure jumped all over the Japanese purchase of US Steel right quick.

 

[cytg111]

Actually what about the Murdochs? Aussies bringing their influence to the US.

100% this.

 

[sdifox]

Actually what about the Murdochs? Aussies bringing their influence to the US.

What difference does it make whether Fox is owned by Aussies or Americans? Shit is still shit regardless of ownership.

Substitute Murdoch with Koch or Phony Stark, the result is the same.

 

[K1052]

This happens all the time in both directions on a smaller scale you just don't notice. Don't think this particular transaction is anything to be concerned about.

I don't really have a problem with Nippon Steel buying US Steel either.

 

[eelw]

What difference does it make whether Fox is owned by Aussies or Americans? Shit is still shit regardless of ownership.

Substitute Murdoch with Koch or Phony Stark, the result is the same.

Lol isnt the point of the topic is the concern of foreign (ally or not) entity controlling a vital sector of the nation?

 

[sdifox]

Lol isnt the point of the topic is the concern of foreign (ally or not) entity controlling a vital sector of the nation?

No, the concern is enemy state owning attack vectors. Personally I am against foreign entities having controlling interest, but then I don't live in America so what happens there is out of my hands.

 

[APU_Fusion]

For a free trade capitalistic economy and form of government banning foreign ownership is a potential slippery slope to corruption and loss of freedom. It is definitely a difficult balance. The Saudis trying to destroy Arizona’s water table comes to mind as something that was technically allowable but certain was contrary to the common good and made me suspicious of their true motives. A tough pickle.

 

[pmv]

Actually what about the Murdochs? Aussies bringing their influence to the US.

Murdoch is a US citizen - precisely because he had to become one to meet US rules about foreign media ownership. Of course _our_ media is owned (and funded) overwhelmingly by rich right-wing Americans (including Murdoch). It seems they don't even always care much about making a profit, it's just about pushing an agenda.

Why I got it so wrong on GB News – the flailing TV juggernaut that’s too rich to fail | Zoe Williams

The channel has posted a loss of £42m – and that highlights my naivety. With rich backers, who cares about ratings and profit? asks Guardian columnist Zoe Williams

www.theguardian.com

 

[pmv]

Our media, water supplies, and railways are mostly owned by foreigners, including by foreign governments. Really seems that Thatcher's "patriotism" and belief in free-markets have turned out to be not entirely compatible with each other. I think even some ancillary parts of the UK military might be owned by foreigners. Which brings up visions of Milo-Minderbinder-style contracting them out to the highest bidder in times of conflict.

 

[sdifox]

Our media, water supplies, and railways are mostly owned by foreigners, including by foreign governments. Really seems that Thatcher's "patriotism" and belief in free-markets have turned out to be not entirely compatible with each other. I think even some ancillary parts of the UK military might be owned by foreigners. Which brings up visions of Milo-Minderbinder-style contracting them out to the highest bidder in times of conflict.

That's the change you voted for no?