From: orville%weyrich@uunet.uu.net (Orville R. Weyrich)
Subject: Re: Cash Prizes for Ideas on Saving U.S. Jobs
Reply-To: uunet.uu.net!weyrich!orville
Organization: Weyrich Computer Consulting
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 92 22:32:02 GMT

In article <1992Oct02.125821.5296@srg.srg.af.mil> akerson@deimos.srg.af.mil (Pete Akerson - akerson%srg@uunet.uucp) writes:
>
>
>orville@weyrich.UUCP (Orville R. Weyrich) sumarizes :
>
>>> The United States must maintain equilibrium with the rest of the world
>across its borders. Protectionist import taxes are not a good idea, but taxes
>that are generally applied to all imports while we have a trade deficit are
>a good idea, as long as the procedes are re-invested in domestic programs.
>
>(Pete Akerson - akerson%srg@uunet.uucp) wrote:
>>>>>(2) highly tax imported cars, electronic goods, and electronic parts; use
>>>>>that tax revenue as capital to (re?)-invest in those industries.
>
>(hundreds of lines of protectionist and anti-protectionist stuff chopped.)
>
>some reasons to try (2) above are:

>1. Some (Japanese) imports sell below cost to build; when the US manufacturers
>   collapse, the (Japanese) own the whole market. eg. TVs.

Americans spend too much time watching TV anyway. :-) As long as we keep our net
trade out of the red, who cares if the Japanese make all the TV's in the world?
They can't dominate all markets if we don't have a trade deficit.

If [for example] the Japanese know that if they sell below cost in one
product category, they will automatically reduce demand for their products
in other product categories [by stimulating automatic increases in import 
taxes], then they will have little incentive to do such things.


>2. National security; without a manufacturing base for vehicles and electronics,
>   how are we supposed to defend ourselves. (Dont ask me against whom.)

But I do ask, "against whom"? It is my understanding that we only used 5 to 10%
of our military supplies against Iraq.  We have tremendous reserves. If it  
comes down to only having one automaker left in the U.S., and if they need 
price supports from the government in order to keep their facility open,
then maybe it's time to talk about government interferrence in the marketplace.

>3. Jobs; paying a slightly lower price to some overseas company impoverishes
>   the country by that $ amount. And you have to put Joe Autobuilder on the
>   dole.

But a sliding scale import tax eliminates the problem of our $$$ leaching away.
[If our $$$ are not leaching away, then neither are our jobs].

As for Joe Autobuilder -- I own two 1978 American cars. I had a 1985 American
car that was a piece of cr*p. I have no sympathy for Mr. Joe Autobuilder. When
the foreign QUALITY is there, people will pay the tax, and forgo foreign
products that lack significant improvements in quality, even if they are
cheaper [before taxes].  As long as the net flow of $$$ is not out of this
country, then whatever problems  Joe Autobuilder has are his own problems that
he needs to clean up himself. It is NOT a national problem.

>No, I dont expect Congress to allocate said tarrifs responsibly. So I say try
>for symetry; use tarrifs on imported electronics to help domestic 
>electronics, etc.

Too much politics is involved to deal with each issue on a case-by-case basis,
and  it invites retaliation.

orville

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Orville R. Weyrich, Jr.                        Weyrich Computer Consulting
Certified Data Processor                     POB 5782, Scottsdale, AZ 85261
Certified Systems Professional                   Voice: (602) 391-0821
Certified Computer Programmer            Internet: orville%weyrich@uunet.uu.net
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Newsgroups: misc.jobs.misc