[1rudeboy]

I'll also note that, in order to promote exports, the Japanese government must (allegedly) keep the yen cheap. This makes it more expensive for a company such as Toyota to build in the United States--if you follow the idea through to its conclusion.

So it's not just cheaper, it's also more expensive.

The operative fact (in the U.S.) is that a company such as Toyota can produce a car with fewer man-hours (unionized or not) than its U.S. counterpart. There is your advantage . . . the exchange rate for the currency is just a smokescreen.

[allmost]

The unions outlived their purpose decades ago. You seem very intelligent and I’m not sure how to react when you dismiss the exchange rate.