By next week, the DOJ will be giving out stock tips and organizing crypto-bro meet-ups to discuss the next big ICOs

— Catalin Cimpanu (@campuscodi) February 6, 2020

Just like that...we like socialist, central planning. https://t.co/xblxluCNOM

— Gopal Ratnam (@g_ratnam) February 6, 2020

Nothing says "small government conservatism" like "the United States should buy Nokia" https://t.co/ONTYQpNWwW

— nilay patel (@reckless) February 6, 2020

I'm sorry but this is crazy. The USG is going to start taking controlling stakes in foreign multinationals for the express purpose of geopolitical competition?? https://t.co/9m2IByysPe

— geoffrey gertz (@geoffreygertz) February 6, 2020

Whaaa......Barr urges US to buy stakes in Ericsson and Nokia to compete with Huawei | Financial Times https://t.co/T1IJSrMZFz

— Paul Triolo (@pstAsiatech) February 6, 2020

U.S. attorney general and Trump consigliere, William Low Barr, is now giving investment advice.https://t.co/dQZg7F39C5

— Spooky action at a distance (@Sharpinsky) February 6, 2020

Barr urges US to buy stakes in Ericsson and Nokia to compete with Huawei https://t.co/TpEXVadtI5

— Financial Times (@FT) February 6, 2020

GER together with FRA, ITL & PL is tireless in pressing @Vestager to relax competition law to build up ?? champions. But the champions the #EU already has in critical technologies such as #5G we deny the market share to strive. #USA is happy to chip in... https://t.co/jVmh7ZyJDT

— Norbert Röttgen (@n_roettgen) February 6, 2020

Say it ain't so, Bill! https://t.co/6GSkVIAHtW

— GRANT'S (@GrantsPub) February 6, 2020

AG Barr is dead wrong on #5G network virtualization. Where is he getting this from?? via @FT
"This approach is completely untested, and would take many years to get off the ground, and would not be ready for prime time for a decade, if ever." https://t.co/AmXU58Kuyd

— Martijn Rasser (@MartijnRasser) February 6, 2020

Barr urges US to buy stakes in Ericsson and Nokia to compete with Huawei https://t.co/PcQq5SjNPx via @financialtimes

— Jennifer Ablan (@jennablan) February 6, 2020

Barr urges US to buy stakes in Ericsson and Nokia to compete with Huawei https://t.co/cxIPPM3nlB via @financialtimes

— Adam Segal (@adschina) February 6, 2020

There we are: US Attorney General suggests to buy controlling stakes in Ericsson & Nokia. Europe talking about digital sovereignty and 5G for two years but not moving on support to its champions.https://t.co/2yp30dLCS4 via @financialtimes

— François Godement (@FGodement) February 6, 2020

Barr noted Nokia & Ericsson had neither “Huawei’s scale nor backing of a powerful country with a large embedded market like China”.

EU qualifies as "large embedded market". About time for EU to stop dithering & throw its weight behind Ericsson & Nokia.https://t.co/DjMVwKENOF

— Thorsten Benner (@thorstenbenner) February 6, 2020

THIS IS THE CRAZIES STORY I HAVE WRITTEN IN YEARS https://t.co/eOxJpOxvZf?
US AG William Barr has suggested the US purchase a controlling stake in either Nokia or Ericsson for access to secure 5G gear. He said such a move could blunt the rise of China and Huawei in the space.

— Mike Dano (@mikeddano) February 6, 2020

US attorney general says tech and telecom industries should invest in Huawei competitors https://t.co/SFIJbY3nhu pic.twitter.com/r1xHmJpHGW

— The Verge (@verge) February 6, 2020

US attorney-general Barr suggested the US buy controlling stakes in Ericsson and Nokia to help build a stronger international competitor to Huawei, the Chinese telecoms equipment maker viewed by Washington as a national security threat. https://t.co/k70heOknO7

— Paul Vieira (@paulvieira) February 6, 2020

5G is a critical economic, security, and technological battleground, and America must lead the way, rather than risk dependence on Chinese firms with deep military ties. We need to fully marshall our deep technological and financial resources to stay in the lead https://t.co/KEC2RFL7BT

— Scott Ruesterholz (@Read_N_Learn) February 7, 2020

The suggestion from Barr, a former top lawyer at cellphone carrier @verizon, represents one of the Trump administration’s most aggressive proposals yet for pushing back against Shenzhen-based @Huawei. w/ the great @DrewFitzGerald https://t.co/orMwXVorR7

— Sadie Gurman (@sgurman) February 6, 2020

Even this won't solve the problem, Nokia and Ericsson do a lot of production in China. The West has lost its productive capacity. https://t.co/sLhQzcy3Q9

— Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) February 7, 2020

Since it comes from a right-wing American government, I think this may be the most striking signpost I've seen of the end of free-market conservative neoliberalism and its replacement by dirigiste national conservativism. https://t.co/vxsvE8OTUI

— Matt BREAKING NEWS Steinglass (@mattsteinglass) February 7, 2020

Bernie's a socialist so he can't win. Meanwhile, Trump's Attorney General is floating having the U.S. government buy Nokia and Ericsson outright to structure a competitor with Huawei. https://t.co/XYDeTY6GO5

— Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) February 7, 2020

We love free markets. Our version of free markets. Every free market votary ever!https://t.co/Szvs3BZAm0 pic.twitter.com/8QkkrYOalg

— Subrahmanyam KVJ (@SuB8u) February 7, 2020

15. Finally, as the relationship between the US and European allies becomes increasingly fraught, cooperation will be ever harder. Barr's extraordinary suggestion that the US government should take a majority stake in Nokia and Ericsson is a case in point. https://t.co/5Mn80z2Ydw

— Henry Farrell (@henryfarrell) February 7, 2020

Now we’re off the derp end. Barr urges US to buy stakes in Ericsson and Nokia. Is that where the GOP is these days? I can’t recognize this party https://t.co/Kha2U2MJLc

— Brian JM Quinn (@bjmquinn) February 7, 2020

Involving companies in your geopolitical ambitions is a two way street. Companies tend to end up dragging countries into theirs. When @PeterZeihan, @NayebiOskoui and I began talking about US dollar diplomacy years ago. This would be an interesting step.https://t.co/qWKEj1rmPj

— Melissa Taylor (@GeopolResearch) February 7, 2020

エリクソン、ノキアもファーウェイとの競争に勝てる見込みがなく、アメリカの支援は吉報だったろう。とはいえ、経済大国が特定の企業と手を組み5Gの実権を握ろうすることは健全なことなのかな。https://t.co/wx7FBdWozw via @WSJ

— アクセンチュアで働くサル (@tadanosarudesu) February 7, 2020