Given the history of the Carlyle Group and the people directing this organization, I found it worrisome to see the following headline on Yahoo this morning:
Carlyle group bids $5.5 bln for Taiwan's ASE
This is a major company that puts the silicon chips into the plastic containers that mount onto the circuit boards of our computers. Do we really want the Carlyle Group to have that much access to what is being mounted inside our computers, cell phones, etc.?
More below the fold:
Both George HW Bush and Junior have served on Carlyle boards during its existence. Saudi Arabian investors, including Osama bin Laden's family have invested heavily in the Carlyle Group, which is itself involved in defense contracting and has a lot of investment in areas that are "highly sensitive to political activity."
I am no expert in this area but I would surmise that if a company is packaging silicon chips for processors, memory, etc., for installation on circuit boards that it is only a small step to adding a little something extra between the original chip and the remaining circuitry.
Does this cause any concern for anyone other than me? Is my tin foil hat on too tight?
UPDATE:
I stated in the body of this diary that I'm no expert on the hardware aspects of the ASE work with computer circuitry. I posted the diary so that there could be discussion of the Carlyle Group and whether there was any potential for abuse by them with this purchase; I thought the purchase was interesting, at least. I must defer to those below who think that my concerns are unfounded, but I continue to believe that we should be overzealous, certainly not passive, with any potential operations that might hinder our free speech on the internet. I was not expecting this diary to get recommended and I wasn't expecting the disdain for it that I'm seeing from some. I will certainly think twice before posting a diary again.