The Student Room Group

Now even Lego is under China's thumb

Lego is getting a new Legoland in China.

By a total coincidence, leading Chinese critical artist/dissident, Ai Weiwei, wanted to create a major new work in Lego. So he tried ordering a big box from the company. They said no.
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/oct/24/artist-ai-weiwei-banned-by-lego-to-build-artwork-australian-exhibition



It must be unusual for a company to refuse to sell its own product in large quantities. All part of the new global nexus between China, where workers rights and wages are poor, the multinationals, who take advantage and the politicians, who they keep tucked away for a rainy day.

With this sort of kowtowing even by Lego, it's hardly a surprise that our own Tories cannot resist the allure of money as they grovel to China's unelected dictators. Although apparently the advertised £40bn David Cameron said we were getting from it is largely made up. Kind of makes you wonder what it's really all about.
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/oct/23/david-camerons-40m-raised-from-chinese-visit-claim-under-scrutiny

One of the most comic claims from the Big Visit of Xi Jinping, China's non-entity President-until-someone-else-we've-never-heard-of was that Oxford University was getting £6bn in a research programme for regenerative tissue medicine. The actual figure is £1.5m. :lol:

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Maybe as we are now close friends with China we can save money by not needing Trident and not needing to be a member of NATO.

The new special relationship.
Original post by MagicNMedicine
Maybe as we are now close friends with China we can save money by not needing Trident and not needing to be a member of NATO.

The new special relationship.


I see on Twitter that people are sending Lego to Ai Weiwei. Perhaps he will build a Lego Trident and we can use that as a substitute.
Reply 4
Original post by Fullofsurprises
Lego is getting a new Legoland in China.

By a total coincidence, leading Chinese critical artist/dissident, Ai Weiwei, wanted to create a major new work in Lego. So he tried ordering a big box from the company. They said no.
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/oct/24/artist-ai-weiwei-banned-by-lego-to-build-artwork-australian-exhibition



It must be unusual for a company to refuse to sell its own product in large quantities. All part of the new global nexus between China, where workers rights and wages are poor, the multinationals, who take advantage and the politicians, who they keep tucked away for a rainy day.

With this sort of kowtowing even by Lego, it's hardly a surprise that our own Tories cannot resist the allure of money as they grovel to China's unelected dictators. Although apparently the advertised £40bn David Cameron said we were getting from it is largely made up. Kind of makes you wonder what it's really all about.
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/oct/23/david-camerons-40m-raised-from-chinese-visit-claim-under-scrutiny

One of the most comic claims from the Big Visit of Xi Jinping, China's non-entity President-until-someone-else-we've-never-heard-of was that Oxford University was getting £6bn in a research programme for regenerative tissue medicine. The actual figure is £1.5m. :lol:


Of course the Lego theme parks are no longer owned by Lego, they were all sold to Merlin Entertainments a few years ago (Merlin floated a few years ago-I considered buying the shares at the time, if it had been the brick builders I would certainly have bought) , so any deal in China re a park is between Merlin Entertainment and China, not The Lego Group.

Lego Group(the brick makers) are I think still owned by the Kristiansen family/ family trusts.
Reply 5
Oh yawn. You all act as though a state visit is an entirely new invention. You claim to be such students of history, yet you ignore whatever history is inconvenient to your point. Grow the **** up and live in the real world for once.
Reply 6
Original post by DJKL
Of course the Lego theme parks are no longer owned by Lego, they were all sold to Merlin Entertainments a few years ago (Merlin floated a few years ago-I considered buying the shares at the time, if it had been the brick builders I would certainly have bought) , so any deal in China re a park is between Merlin Entertainment and China, not The Lego Group.

Lego Group(the brick makers) are I think still owned by the Kristiansen family/ family trusts.


This is TSR, you can't possibly let such a pesky thing as facts ruin a good rant...
Original post by DJKL
Of course the Lego theme parks are no longer owned by Lego, they were all sold to Merlin Entertainments a few years ago (Merlin floated a few years ago-I considered buying the shares at the time, if it had been the brick builders I would certainly have bought) , so any deal in China re a park is between Merlin Entertainment and China, not The Lego Group.

Lego Group(the brick makers) are I think still owned by the Kristiansen family/ family trusts.


It's pretty obvious that a Legoland boosts Lego the product. So the connection is clear cut. Lego are now directly engaged in a political act, suppressing a dissenter because of their business interests in China.

They aren't the only corporation engaged in this kind of alliance with the 'Communist' oligarchs of China, but Weiwei is famous enough for it to show up. It's actually quite disgusting really. The weasel way that Western corporations play along with a country with such a dire human rights record because of all the pound signs in their eyes, whilst at the same time, here at home, they pose as human-faced companies. Clearly the fate of ordinary Chinese people is of little concern when dollars are at stake.
Original post by Drewski
Oh yawn. You all act as though a state visit is an entirely new invention. You claim to be such students of history, yet you ignore whatever history is inconvenient to your point. Grow the **** up and live in the real world for once.


It's entirely part of the real world. In the real world, the Chinese government is busy crushing dissent, torturing and incarcerating without trial those who want a more democratic and free country.

I would have thought you, as a right winger, would want to support campaigns against that, but puzzlingly, many Tories seem to be aligning themselves with the China regime. Can it be that they don't much care what kind of government a country has, so long as (a) it has money and (b) the workers of that country are oppressed into accepting low pay and bad working conditions? The latter being like a wet dream to many reactionaries.
Reply 9
Original post by Fullofsurprises
It's entirely part of the real world. In the real world, the Chinese government is busy crushing dissent, torturing and incarcerating without trial those who want a more democratic and free country.

I would have thought you, as a right winger, would want to support campaigns against that, but puzzlingly, many Tories seem to be aligning themselves with the China regime. Can it be that they don't much care what kind of government a country has, so long as (a) it has money and (b) the workers of that country are oppressed into accepting low pay and bad working conditions? The latter being like a wet dream to many reactionaries.


Don't throw that label at me. I'm left on some issues, right on the other and incredibly apathetic on almost everything else.

There is absolutely nothing I can do to change China, so I'm not going to waste one molecule of thought on the notion.
Original post by ChaoticButterfly


Great news for millions of Indians and Chinese!

China should just buy Lego.
Original post by ChaoticButterfly


We should open up the UK for Chinese and Indian investment ASAP! we need their money! we are fast becoming a third world country will falling living standards!

none of our cities made top 50 in terms of living standards globally!
Original post by Bill_Gates
We should open up the UK for Chinese and Indian investment ASAP! we need their money! we are fast becoming a third world country will falling living standards!

none of our cities made top 50 in terms of living standards globally!


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Original post by ChaoticButterfly


We need to sell more assets to the Indians and Chinese, we need the monies. Too many benefit scroungers in this country living off productive people.

We need to go back to the days of 5% government and minimal income taxes and minimal handouts.


:lol:
why do i hear everyone complain about china's human rights but none of the similar scale on saudi arabia?

oh wai they are bff with america. and we do not want to piss off our master.
Original post by HucktheForde
why do i hear everyone complain about china's human rights but none of the similar scale on saudi arabia?

oh wai they are bff with america. and we do not want to piss off our master.


? Loads of threads here attacking Saudi policies. I've often posted about them and our government's mind-slavery to Saudi oil which helps allow their corrupt rulers to commit infamous acts and to export their demented version of religion.
Original post by Fullofsurprises
? Loads of threads here attacking Saudi policies. I've often posted about them and our government's mind-slavery to Saudi oil which helps allow their corrupt rulers to commit infamous acts and to export their demented version of religion.


not on the same scale.
Original post by HucktheForde
not on the same scale.


I don't think that's right. There's been far more about the Saudis on TSR than China.
Original post by Fullofsurprises
I don't think that's right. There's been far more about the Saudis on TSR than China.


i am referring to the media. The media totally went full retard over china's visit. Wanting our leaders to raise human right issues on a business meeting. Because its totally the right place and the right time and totally relevant. Theres like 10 + pages covering the story. Meanwhile saudi is going to execute a british man for brewing vine. and theres only like one page covering this on newspaper.

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