Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders have something in common beyond being outsider candidates: both want Apple to manufacture its devices in the United States.
During an interview this week, Sanders was asked about Apple and said that, “I do wish they’d be manufacturing some of their devices, here, in the United States rather than in China.”
In doing so, he echoes (often derided) comments made by Republican rival Donald Trump, who earlier this year said that he was, “gonna get Apple to start building their damn computers and things in this country instead of in other countries.”
In the wake of Trump’s comments, many commentators rushed to point out the impossibility of Apple manufacturing its devices in the U.S. — ranging from lack of manufacturing skills in the United States to cheaper production costs to the plethora of suppliers based in places like China.
Sanders also told the New York Daily News in his interview that he wishes Apple “would not [try] to avoid paying their fair share of taxes” — referencing the repeated accusations that Apple engages in tax avoidance schemes by moving its profits around the world thanks to its status as a multinational.
Apple, for its part, has repeatedly claimed that it pays ever cent it owes. During last year’s “Inside Apple” episode of 60 Minutes, Tim Cook labelled reports that Apple doesn’t pay its taxes as, “total political crap.”
Do you agree with Sanders’ points? Leave your comments below.
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
4 responses to “Sanders joins Trump in saying Apple should build its products in U.S.”
So much for the “home of the brave and the land of the free” when government starts dictating where a company can manufacture its products. If Apple is breaking no laws, then it’s not doing anything wrong — and to indicate that somehow operating within the law allows Apple to “avoid paying its fair share of taxes” is hogwash. We are a nation of laws. When we devolve into a situation where the government simply wants more and more of a corporation’s money because it makes a lot, we’ve lost one of our most cherished freedoms of operating without government interference and meddling. This was the whole point of the US Constitution and Bill of Rights (which they no longer teach in schools). The government’s only role was to provide a peaceful environment where citizens were able to carry on commerce according to known laws. We need to get back to the principles of the Founding Fathers and throw out all the socialist crap that’s crept into our wonderful way of life.
Apple does make it’s top of the line machines, the Mac Pro, in Austin using former Dell employees.
Jobs once said that he couldn’t find enough tech skilled people to staff a production line in US. They can recruit in China in 4 weeks what would take a year in US because of the poor education system. “Oh! another socialist program!” said the ignorant Republican.
No he doesn’t have a point. Apple pays more taxes in the US than any other corporations.
Nothing wrong with made in the USA, nothing at all. I’m sure if they could make it work they would, trouble is not just the skill set for Apple it’s the all the parts provided by 3rd party that are also located in China.