• Babs [she/her]
    ·
    2 months ago

    This is being sold as a security measure, but it's really a heavily-lobbied economic measure to benefit a single American drone company. Skydio, DJI's largest American competitor, can't compete with cheap Chinese drones used for commercial purposes like farming and surveying, so over the last two years they have spent over a million dollars on lobbying efforts to take out their rival. https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying/clients/summary?cycle=2022&id=D000086902

    Skydio drones are expensive, and the company has deep ties with American, British, and Israeli militaries. They have also completely pulled out of the consumer market, focusing purely on commercial and military drones, so a DJI ban will be a serious blow to drone hobbyists, independent professional pilots, and smaller companies that can't afford to pay thousands of dollars for a drone that they used to be able to get for $400-$1000.

    • blame [they/them]
      ·
      2 months ago

      amazing that you only have to spend a million dollars for this result. I guess having the tailwinds of American politicans losing their shit over China helps.

      • ClimateChangeAnxiety [he/him, they/them]
        ·
        2 months ago

        It’s been shocking recently to realize how cheap it actually is to buy off an American politician

        Like with the influence AIPAC has, you’d think they’re throwing around tens of millions, even billions of dollars at candidates. But most of the time it’s like, they gave this house member 5 grand and now he’s Israel’s lapdog for life.

        Like if I got a few friends together we could scrounge up enough money to buy off a politician apparently. It’s baffling.

        • Diuretic_Materialism [he/him]
          ·
          2 months ago

          Like if I got a few friends together we could scrounge up enough money to buy off a politician apparently.

          Mutual aid comm but we just bribe politicians.

        • SpiderFarmer [he/him]
          ·
          2 months ago

          Fr. One of my local politicians folded to a slumlord for maybe $1000. Double disrespect.

          • RION [she/her]
            ·
            2 months ago

            Does anything beat the guy who uncapped interest rates for the entire credit card industry in exchange for a few IHOPs?

            https://www.idler.co.uk/article/adam-curtis-social-media-is-a-scam/

        • NephewAlphaBravo [he/him]
          ·
          2 months ago

          if I got a few friends together we could scrounge up enough money to buy off a politician

          It would suddenly be bribery. Fuck you <3 amerikkka

        • miz [any, any]
          ·
          2 months ago

          Richie Torres probably did it for a pair of Yankees tickets

    • pumpchilienthusiast [comrade/them, any]
      ·
      2 months ago

      This is being sold as a security measure, but it's really a heavily-lobbied economic measure to benefit a single American drone company.

      surprised-pika

      • Babs [she/her]
        ·
        2 months ago

        Basically everyone who is allowed to use a DJI will use one. They're great drones and far cheaper than anything domestically produced. It's not even a close competition.

      • Rod_Blagojevic [none/use name]
        ·
        edit-2
        2 months ago

        Yes, and it's been hugely expensive to work around these nonsense restrictions. I'm not exaggerating when I say there's already been years of setbacks in the expansion of ems/fire UAS programs.

    • miz [any, any]
      ·
      2 months ago

      Skydio

      nothing creepy about naming your drone company "sky god"