From: louis@cs.mcgill.ca (Louis LECLERC)
Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy
Subject: Re: THOSE WICKED JAPS
Date: 13 Apr 92 23:37:01 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: SOCS, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
Originator: louis@binkley.cs.mcgill.ca

>studier@ninja.life.uiuc.edu (Jim Studier) writes:


>Competition at most forces people to change jobs.  They are not shot to death.

NOT TRUE, COMPETITION LIKE THIS MOVES JOBS TO JAPAN UNFAIRLY BECAUSE THE
COMPETITION WAS NOT FREE. AMERICANS USUALLY CANNOT WORK IN JAPAN, SO
THE CONSEQUENCE IS THAT PEOPLE LOSE JOBS...THEY CANNOT SIMPLY CHANGE JOBS
AS YOU STATE ABOVE BECAUSE THEIR JOB IS NOW IN JAPAN AND THEY CANNOT GO THERE.
THE RESULT IS HIGHER UNEMPLOYMENT AND A LOWER STANDARD OF LIVING IN AMERICA
AS THESE PEOPLE PAY NO (OR MUCH LOWER) TAXES.

THE JAPANESE COMPANIES WHO REPLACE THE U.S. ONES SEEM TO PAY NO TAXES 
EITHER, SO AMERICA LOSES HERE TOO AS OUR COMPANIES DO PAY TAXES.

>   If an industry can't survive on its own what purpose is served by
>raising everybody else's costs, through trade barriers or subsidies in order
>to "save" it.

BECAUSE ITS WHAT THE JAPANESE CORP'S DO...IF WE DONT DO IT OR RESPOND IN
SOME OTHER WAY, THEN YOU ARE RIGHT, OUR BUSINESSES WONT SURVIVE.

>Physical capital such as buildings can often be reallocated to new uses.
>It is not destroyed as in a bombing. Those who purchase "dumped" products
>achieve a higher standard of living because they obtain better goods
>at lower prices.  If the "dumped" prices are financed by the Japanese
>people thats their problem, not ours.


YOU ARE RIGHT, BUYERS OF DUMPED PRODUCTS DO ACHIEVE A HIGHER STANDARD
OF LIVING....IN THE SHORT TERM ONLY!



...HOWEVER, IN THE LONG TERM, ONCE THE COMPETITION IS DESTROYED AND BARRIERS
TO ENTER THE MARKET (THIS WILL OCCUR WHEN HDTV IS LAUNCHED) ARE HIGH, THE 
PRICES WILL BE MUCH HIGHER AND STANDARD OF LIVING WILL DROP PRECIPITOUSLY.
ANY ECONOMIST CAN TELL YOU THIS.

THE US ECONOMY WILL THEN GET HIT BY A DOUBLE WHAMMY, HIGH PRICES, AND
NO MONEY STAYING HERE SINCE THE DOMESTIC COMPANIES ARE DEAD. AT THIS
TIME DOMESTIC COMPANIES CANNOT ENTER THE LUCRATIVE MARKET
 BECAUSE NATURAL BARRIERS TO ENTRY IN THE INDUSTRY ARE NOW TOO HIGH.
(AGAIN, IF YOU DONT UNDERSTAND THESE TERM, AN ECONOMICS PROF CAN EXPLAIN
IT)


IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THE MATSUSHITA ARTICLE INDICATED THAT THE JAPANESE
GOT THE TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE TV'S BY STEALING FROM US AND FORMING A CARTEL.
I DONT THING OUR INDUSTRY WILL BE ABLE TO DO THIS IN ORDER TO "COMPETE
ON AN EQUAL FOOTING" AND RE-ENTER THE MARKET.

THE PROBLEM WITH YOUR ARGUEMENT IS SAME AS THE PROBLEM IN 
AMERICA IN GENERAL, YOU
SEE THINGS TOO SHORTSIGHTEDLY, AND THAT IS THE REAL DANGER...THE DISASTER
HAPPENS LATER ON...IN THE LONG TERM...THAT IS WHAT YOU DO NOT SEE.


   Such "substantial actions" would be like advocating a government 
program to save the buggy whip industry.  The only difference is
the presence of an international border.

NO, THE OBJECT IS NOT TO PROTECT OBSOLETE INDUSTRY, BUT TO OPEN THE JAPANESE
MARKET...AND PREVENT GOVT SANCTIONNED CARTELS SO THAT OUR INDUSTRY CAN
COMPETE FREELY AS YOU WOULD LIKE IT TO.

   If an industry can't survive on its own what purpose is served by
raising everybody else's costs, through trade barriers or subsidies in order
to "save" it.
   Why not outlaw all imports and let the government use taxes and business
subsidies to make sure that no one ever loses a job?

THE ARTICLE DOESNT SAY THAT...

-LOUIS
Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy