From: aj843@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Robert L. Stone)
Newsgroups: sci.research
Subject: Re: Japanese Economic War (?)
Date: 14 Dec 1992 03:02:47 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hela.ins.cwru.edu


Roger.Firestone@f349.n109.z1.fidonet.org writes:

>I can't believe the amount of bandwidth that has gone into the
>multiple posting of all this material on the superiority of the
>Japanese--especially in the light of recent events in the Japanese
>economy...

Well, to my reading the recently posted article "Does America Say
Yes to Japan?" does anything but declare the superiority of the
Japanese system...in fact it serves as an introduction to the
Japanese business system and shows how that system is not compatible
with its counterpart in the United States in its present form.
As to the "recent events" recounted they do little to refute the
arguments of the paper or reverse the flow of capital from the
United States to Japan.

>I recall when the CIA was being criticized for the "ten feet tall"
>syndrome, in which our analysts supposedly gave the KGB credit for
>being invincible, only to discover the truth behind the facade when
>the Soviet economy and polity finally collapsed.  The latest
>version of the "yellow peril" writings seems much the same to me...

I'm afraid I fail to see the relevance of this argument.  The
Japanese are not engaging in unfair practices by keeping all U.S.
(and other 'foreign') companies out of their markets because the CIA
overestimated the KGB years ago?  Come on!

>Well, I say that the Japan of today only claims to be a free-
>market, democratic society, but has not yet been able to shake off
>its feudal roots and structures, which is what MITI, the keiretsu,
>the status of women, and on and on are all about.

The operative word here is *Claims* - the article (as well as the
excellent PBS Frontline: "Losing the War With Japan") points out,
Japan has made little to no effort to move to a free-market economy
open to any other country.  Agreement after agreement have been made
between the U.S. and Japan regarding trade practices...and all of
them have been broken by Japan.  The MITI seems more analogous to a
committee for economic war with the keiretsu as the branches of the
military for that war rather than the remnants of Japan's "feudal
roots."

>Those of us who believe in free market economics and free
>government know that our system has the laws of mathematics on its
>side and, given enough time, will emerge superior.

While I believe in a free market (as long as it is open to all)
as well as free government, I fail to see how transferring the
wealth of the U.S. to Japan at an incredible rate counts as our
system "having the laws of mathematics on its side."  That transfer
is in fact taking place at a rate that by the year 2000 Japan will
surpass the U.S. and become the wealthiest country on the Earth.

>I could go on to expose a number of mathematical/economic fallacies
>in the arguments of the material posted, but we've already passed
>too many kilobytes around the net on this.

Ahh, the classic argument!  "I have the evidence, but don't feel
like posting it!"  Most often this is used only as a last resort by
someone who does not have a complete grasp of the topic on which
they argue.

>When we as Americans believe in our own system and give up the
>thoughts of emulating the faulty systems of others because of their
>short-term successes, then we can emerge from our present
>wilderness and discover we are already living in the promised land.

>Roger.Firestone@f349.n109.z1.fidonet.org

While I agree that the Japanese system is faulty in that it damages
the world economy, I fail to see how an economic plan for the next
200 years (which Japan reportedly has) can be credited only with
"short-term success."

I sincerely hope that Americans will soon wake up to the economic
threat from Japan in time to alter our laws in such a way as to
become a mirror of their trade laws and thereby force them to make
their policies fair.  Hopefully, they will one day discontinue their
economic offensive and fully participate in free *multi*lateral
world trade, which will be to the benefit of all.  Until that day,
however, we must learn to look after ourselves and not naively
depend on the benevolence of others.

aj843@po.cwru.edu
-- 
   _____  __    _______"Wake the neighbors and phone the kids,
  / __  // /   /  ____/it's time for viewer mail. Actual letters
 / /_/ // /__ /____  /from actual viewers, if they weren't, could
/_/ |_|/____//______/I do this?" aj843  (Bob Stone, Baltimore MD)
From: Roger.Firestone@f349.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Roger Firestone)
Sender: Uucp@blkcat.UUCP