To all who love toyota< admire toyota and think they are a breath of fresh air

[orconn]

Originally Posted by Jesda

There is truth to what Sandy is saying. Toyota does lobby the US government as much as or more than the Big Three, and Japan's policies on trade are not as friendly as ours. The question then is less about what is, and more about how to deal with it.

The article Sandy brought to our attention has a lot of truth to it. As one who lived in Japan for two and a half years in the late '60s and early '70s and was involved in Far East trade for many years, I can say that their has never been a level playing field when it came to that nation's economic recovery from WW2. As the countries recovered and others began to develop we continued to give favorable access to our US market while allowing those countries to descriminate against US products through high tariffs and distribution impediments to competition in these countries. Example American citrus products (Sunkist citrus and Florida) were made to be luxury products ((one Sunkist grapefruit in Japan cost the equivalent of $5.00 when thay were selling on the East Coast of the US for 49 cents; this was promoted by the Japanese government as protecting the domestic Japanese citrus industry (which was almost non-existant). These type of outrageous tariff and distribution practices kept the Japanese people from enjoying a higher standard of living while keeping penetration of Japanese markets by American consumer products to a much lower level than would have been the case with less exclusionary trade poicies. Our government allowed this to take place in the name of "Free Trade."

However, it is interesting to note that with all the protection of domestic markets and favorable access to international markets that Japan has enjoyed its' economy has still been in the Tank for over ten years!

[dkozloski]

There is a viable and thriving automobile industry in the United States, it just doesn't involve the UAW. 44% of the cars made in the foreign owned plants in the South such as Honda, Mercedes, and BMW are shipped to other countries for sale. The workers are doing fine and aren't held on the job at gunpoint. The problem is not the big three, the problem is the UAW. There are plenty of American made cars sold around the world. They just don't have American brand names on them.

[Brett]

Originally Posted by Lord Cadillac

What's stopping us from leveling the playing field in this respect TOMORROW?!

Originally Posted by orconn

However, it is interesting to note that with all the protection of domestic markets and favorable access to international markets that Japan has enjoyed its' economy has still been in the Tank for over ten years!

The simple solution often has unintended results, as orconn has pointed out.

[gothicaleigh]

Originally Posted by thebigjimsho

And if the execs flew on Northwest and the flight was canceled and couldn't make it, they'd be chastised for missing such an important hearing. Private jetting serves a purpose. Symbol, my ass...

Honestly, they probably should have driven there.




Here, so they can find their way back:

[Jesda]

Originally Posted by Lord Cadillac

What's stopping us from leveling the playing field in this respect TOMORROW?! What are us panzy Americans afraid of?!

Driving ourselves into an FDR-style depression. Trade restrictions come with retaliatory responses.

[I~LUV~Caddys8792]

Originally Posted by gothicaleigh

Honestly, they probably should have driven there.




Here, so they can find their way back:

Executive style road trip!! Maybe they'll do a filming of CEO's Gone Wild!

[gothicaleigh]

Originally Posted by I~LUV~Caddys8792

Executive style road trip!! Maybe they'll do a filming of CEO's Gone Wild!

Seriously, they make cars for a living. It's a day's drive from Detroit and they take a private jet? Forget the money spent, auto execs should be looking for excuses like this. Even if it's all just for show, they should present themselves as car guys with a love for their product. Pull up to congress in your biggest and best while the other saps from the competition are climbing out of their airplanes.
That would be a statement.

[gary88]

I remember someone in congress said them showing up in a private jet was akin to going to a soup kitchen dressed in a suit.

[Sandy]

THE UAW

The UAW is a necessary "evil" Why? Simply put because men take advantage or other men. Men like to cheat other men. Owners cheat bosses, bosses cheat workers.... Some say it's human nature. You all know this is truth.

BUT.... the UAW is too big, too overbearing.
your Mother ever tell you that too much of anything turns it bad?
That's the UAW. They are, indeed a necessary evil, and need to be scaled down (or back..)Stikes hurt everyone. UAW needs to put away the guns and
become more of a resource where workers and management can sit as men respecting other men, and work thru understanding and compassion for each other's "issues" and both learn how to better give & take.
STRIKES hurt our economy, our image, our corporations and our work force.

If the UAW is compared to a 1979 Lincoln Continential, a 1976 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham or a 1978 Imperial LeBaron (the 3 biggest American Cars Built) ......... then they need to scale down to Chevrolet Corvairs, Plymouth Valiants & Ford Pintos. (But it will never happen due to corruption from within their $2,000 suits and $300 ties!)

[I~LUV~Caddys8792]

Originally Posted by Sandy

If the UAW is compared to a 1979 Lincoln Continential, a 1976 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham or a 1978 Imperial LeBaron (the 3 biggest American Cars Built) ......... then they need to scale down to Chevrolet Corvairs, Plymouth Valiants & Ford Pintos. (But it will never happen due to corruption from within their $2,000 suits and $300 ties!)

Don't you mean 1978 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham?

[Ranger]

If the trend continues unabated the American middle class will be pushed back to pre-WW2 levels of prosperity.

The train has already left the station. We are well on our way.

[Brett]

Originally Posted by Sandy

Owners cheat bosses, bosses cheat workers.... Some say it's human nature. You all know this is truth.

You left out workers cheat bosses, an oversight im sure...companies are not opened to provide a life for its employees, they are opened to provide income for its owners.

[The Tony Show]

Originally Posted by Blackout

Wah, wah, wah! It's a car forum! Would you believe that people actually talk about more then one car brand on a car forum!?


I mean who in their right mind would talk about something other then Cadillac in this section of the forum? I mean look at the description for this area, "Only non-Cadillac discussion goes here. Cadillac discussions belong elsewhere." so why are you surprised to find stuff on foreign cars and other car brands in this area?

Way to completely miss the point. You guys are free to post whatever anti-GM blathering you want to, and vociferously defend your right to do so (see your post above), yet you rail on Sandy for posting something Pro-American and Pro-GM on CADILLACOWNERS.COM.

Hypocrite much?

[Lord Cadillac]

Originally Posted by Brett

You left out workers cheat bosses, an oversight im sure...companies are not opened to provide a life for its employees, they are opened to provide income for its owners.

Most people seem to forget this... Constantly...

[Ranger]

BUT, you must also remember that without employees, owners make no money. It's a two way street.