Posted on 12/28/2008 4:26:21 PM PST by Cringing Negativism Network
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By traditional free-trade theory, a nation should import what it does not produce from the nations that produce it most cheaply.
But in 1946, Japan produced almost no steel, no TVs and no cars. Instead of buying them from America, Tokyo subsidized its own steel, TV and auto industries for decades, and protected their market. Now, as Sony did to Philco and Dumont, Toyota, Honda and Nissan are taking down Ford, GM and Chrysler. Were the Japanese foolish to subsidize their industries and protect their market? Were we wise to let our TV industry be taken down, and watch our auto and steel industries driven to death's door?
To 1970, Boeing, Lockheed and McDonnell Douglas produced almost all of the world's jetliners. But rather than rely in perpetuity on Americans for passenger planes, Britain, France, Germany and Spain subsidized a socialist cartel, Airbus, that did not make a profit for 25 years and sold its planes for less than it cost to build them.
That trampled all over free-trade theory, but it did kill Lockheed and McDonnell Douglas and almost killed Boeing.
Were the Europeans foolish to create an aircraft industry and subsidize the destruction of Lockheed and McDonnell Douglas? Or were they wise to sacrifice today to capture the world's aircraft market of tomorrow?
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(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
It's ironic, many of the same people rush to every Buchanan article and say, "Well, he's right this time", but he's really a nut, or nazi lover or some other such gibberish.
I think they're still mad because Buchanan told the GOP to sick it up their a$$.
I wish Duncan Hunter would get back into the national dialogue.
He’s like Pat Buchanan, but without Pat Buchanan.
We have a huge problem. Ignoring it, or arguing whether Toyotas are made in America really doesn’t do anything to solve the problem.
America is going the wrong direction.
Obama’s “change” sure won’t correct that - unfortunately the GOP seemed intent on preventing any change in course, and caused this debacle by being too stubborn to stop and ask directions, from middle-class Americans.
GOP elitists are the problem.
RINOs are the problem.
“Free Trade” is a national catastrophe.
Pat and his ilk are WRONG on trade, NAFTA, etc etc Its a global market. Deal with it.
I drive a Honda which is a great car and I have no intention of changing any time soon. So I am part of the problem.
But I agree with PJB in a lot of what he says. There is a difference between “comparative advantage” and “absolute advantage,” and I am very bothered by the fact that the electronic components for our “smart bombs” are made in China.
Ok! You are a Toyota Republican! Congratulations!!
Last year GM sold 1 million more cars in the USA than your beloved Toyota (Japan's #1).
Ford sold 1 million more cars than Honda (Japan's #2).
Even Chrysler sold 1 million more cars than Nissan (Japan's #3).
Most Americans, unlike you, are idiots and buy "shitty cars". It must be great to be such a genius.
The auto industry's problems have NOTHING to do with the collapse of CREDIT. Most American's buy cars for CASH after all!!
It's not like a bunch of rich New York bankers destroyed banking system, got a bailout 1000 times bigger than Detroit, and never had to answer a freaking quesiton. No, not at all.
It's not like Toyota and Nissan are not massively subsidized by Japan! No, not at all!! They are paragons of the free market!!!
Hell, it's not even like Toyota, BMW, Mercedes et. al. didn't get HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of subsidy dollars to locate in the South. No! That never happened.
RANDOMHERO97 - wake up and smell the coffee.
Child Labor Laws (China have those? Japan??)
OSHA regulations.
Unemployment Insurance
EPA regulations.
Social Security Insurance.
Medicare and Medicaid contributions.
Long Term Disability (LTC) insurnace.
Workmans Compensation regulations & insurance.
Minimum Wage Laws
Equal Employment Opportunity Commision regulations
Affirmative Action regulations
Regulations on not firing Army Reserve troops
... and many more.
Perhaps you are a libertarian and feel we should get rid of all this? Race to the bottom and comepete directly with slave states like China??
You should not buy anything you don’t like.
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