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Thinking about it some more, isn't it better for our US manufacturers to have US-clunkers running around in Japan?

(Parts-wise).

One of the few words I know in Japanese is "Kiretsu"—something Obama would appreciate—it's business, but kinda "Chicago-style".

"...Japan sold milling machines to the Soviets so they could make quieter submarine propellers..."

1) That was Toshiba, not "Japan".

Now that Toshiba has merged with Matsushita, they're tougher for me (us) to boycott.

2) Don't forget that some otherwise-qualifying foreign cars had their gasoline mileages "Obama-nudged" into disqualification territory.

:-\

Japan smart.

Obama stupid.

Something tells me that even if US imports to Japan were included, there would be very few buyers... just like when we had the same program here the major beneficiaries were Japanese makes.

No surprise. Why shouldn’t Japan do what’s good for Japan? The truth is that the Japanese makes did better under our cash for clunkers program because they’re no affiliated with out government. Nor is Ford, and they did well, too.

So it’s a no-brainer. People will avoit doing business with the government whenever possible. I think this is known by our gov think tanks through game-theory and behavior studies, etc., so garnering our participation and approval requires a lot of coercion.

**Buying from Govt motors is like cutting your own legs off.**

They’ll have to bring back 1980 prices. (Carters “Voluntary” Quota cars)

The price on a GovtMotors would have to be LOW enough that I could throw the car away without guilt after parts no longer available.

**but most clunkers are American cars...**

American cars aren’t even good enough to be Japanese Clunkers...

I have a Clunker Japanese car that’s STILL Going strong..so ..

What’s a Capitalist to do??

I thought cash for clunkers was just a dopey idea that did more harm than good.

Why is Japan doing this?

I’m free market as well, however, we have the right to use our trade war “tools” to get other countries not to pull nonsense like this.

This whole thing is ridiculous! Just because someone turns in an American/Japanese car, doesn’t mean they will in fact turn around and buy a car from the same country.

They are talking about cars turned in, not bought!

Or am I the one missing something?

but Japan is supposed to be our ally.

All countries can be expected to act primarily in their own self-interest (well, except the US under Obama). But I would imagine that all our erstwhile allies have noted that the US looks to be an extremely unreliable "ally" under Obama and they'd really better watch out for themselves.

Why the Japanese are mimicing the communist policy of the US is beyond me.

What, will our communist King fire their CEO’s now?

Let them do it. Free market helps the...

neo socialist versus quasi socialist. The left one wins.

Look at it this way - why should Japanese tax dollars go to support the government-owned industry of another country? Ford would be collateral damage of sending a mesage to Obama - since they can’t really justify saying “screw GM and Chrysler, but Ford’s okay” without inviting lawsuits (they legally can discriminate by country but not by company.)

And our cash for clunkers debacle resulted in most people choosing to buy Japanese or foreign brands. Why not give tax breaks to all and let the people choose if they want to purchase cars or other items. Obamanomics is moronic and adopted by Japan no less. Estupido!

In fact, given American history, culture and attitudes it may be more likely that the exact opposite would happen as Americans reclaim the ideals and principles of the American Revolution.

Wake me up when they start repealing elements of the New Deal. Heck - wake me up when they abolish the Department of Education, something Reagan said he would do in the run-up to the 1980 election. (It was just over a year old when Reagan took office, having been established as a cabinet-level agency in 1979). The problem has always been that he who robs Peter to pay Paul can always count on Paul's support.

hahahahahahahahahahahaha

Japanese carmakers benefitted most from our cash 4 clunkers program.... hahahaahha

Although 0bama may be implementing Cloward-Piven, there is no guarantee that a socialist state would arise from the remains of wreckage. In fact, given American history, culture and attitudes it may be more likely that the exact opposite would happen as Americans reclaim the ideals and principles of the American Revolution.

I believe China and South Korea should be sanctioned too for their illegal currency exchange levels. They are also having an unfair advantage on trade.

Maybe 0bama needs to take a trip to Japan and make a few apologies and take a few bows.

That should get Japan's government to change their collective minds.

Sounds like the Japanese are just being smart

And the American companies are too _______(?) to use the exclusion as an advertisement advantage: Too Good to be scrapped

Their anger is misplaced. If they wanna be pissed, they should be pissed with 0b0z0 who left the door wide open in his CFC scam...

While an interesting story, does it really need to be in breaking news?While an interesting story, does it really need to be in breaking news?

I think it's an ice pick in the eye from a major ally. We expect these kinds of things from the Chinese, but Japan is supposed to be our ally. Reminds me of the time when Japan sold milling machines to the Soviets so they could make quieter submarine propellers (subsequently used in ultra-quiet subs like the Kilo, which the Russians have sold to the Chinese).

" My only quibble is excluding Ford. The sooner Government Motors and Chrysler go bye-bye, the better."

Amen!

Buying from Govt motors is like cutting your own legs off.

Good for Japan. My only quibble is excluding Ford. The sooner Government Motors and Chrysler go bye-bye, the better.

The problem is that they won't go bye-bye. Uncle Sam will keep them afloat no matter what. If a GOP prez couldn't muster the political capital to sink them, do you seriously think Ogabe will let them fail? If taxpayer funds are chained to Detroit's survival, we should at least spend as little as we can rescuing them. One way to do it would have been to restrict Cash for Clunkers to domestic makes.

While an interesting story, does it really need to be in breaking news?

Not to be bitchy but too many articles have been showing up in breaking lately that should not be.

Why would anyone expect Japan to act any differently. Uncle Sap has allowed them huge access to the US market for decades while they kept their market largely closed to US.

The Asian model for growth: gain maximum access to the US market while keeping your home markets closed. Worked for Japan, then South Korea and now Red China, as well as lesser trading partners.

Exactly. I drive a PT Cruiser and it’s the last Chrysler I will ever own. It’s Ford or an import for me from now on.

What a bunch of whining titty-babies.

Let them do it. Free market helps the end consumer.

I'm generally a free trader. But the Dems decided they were going to institute a program to keep Detroit alive - Cash for Clunkers. Well - if you set out to subsidize Detroit, you should subsidize Detroit. Instead, taxpayer funds were wasted subsidizing foreign manufacturers. Letting foreign manufacturers participate in Cash for Clunkers diluted the impact - Detroit's profits were far lower than they could have been because they did not get the full benefit of the program. Detroit will come back to the trough when stimulus funds run out and their sales nosedive again. And more money will be doled out to keep them afloat. Why waste more money when we could have done it right the first time - by excluding foreign makes from Cash for Clunkers?

Good for Japan. My only quibble is excluding Ford. The sooner Government Motors and Chrysler go bye-bye, the better.

Sounds like the Japanese are just being smart.

Meh... can’t blame them for doing what we’d want to be done.

“which has launched a cash-for-clunkers program that doesn’t accept American-made cars. “

but most clunkers are American cars...

"...“I urge the Japanese government to stop discriminating against American workers and manufacturers, and I urge our government to take action if they continue these discriminatory policies,” Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) said in a statement.

She said that the U.S. program applied to all cars sold in the U.S., “not just American cars, which is what I would have greatly preferred.”

Debbie Stabenow is a stupidity machine.

Let them do it. Free market helps the end consumer.