From: uznerk@mcl.ucsb.edu (Andrew Krenz)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: Whining about buying American cars
Date: 16 Nov 92 04:34:54 GMT
Distribution: usa

In <1992Nov14.163136.24473@lmpsbbs.comm.mot.com> kiel_jeff@macmail1.rtsg.mot.com writes:

>I am really getting sick and tired of all the whining by those who say that it
>is patriotic to buy American cars.  I own a Japanese car and am as American as
>anyone else.  I pay taxes, watch baseball once in a while and like apple pie
>but I do not drive a Chevy.  What really makes me mad is that I can come up
>with several ways that it is "American" to buy a Japanese car.  Here is a short
>list:

>1.  Japanese cars are more economical.  If you can save money on repairs and
>gas then you can spend more money on the economy which HELPS America.  I have

I really can't believe you're stupid enough to compare the mileage of a '69
Buick to that of a modern car.  The times have definately changed, bud.  
American cars are a lot more efficient than you think.  Look at a Chevrolet
Caprice for crying out loud.  It weighs almost 2 tons yet it still gets
27mpg on the highway.  Don't even think about flaming Saturn and the mileage
those cars get.  Also, saying that Japanese cars are more economical in
general is a bunch of crap.  Go down to the local auto center.  The
first thing you'll notice is how much more expensive that Camry or Accord
is over the Taurus or Lumina.  Next thing, assuming you *own* the car, is
you'll notice how much more expensive it is to repair a Japanese car.
Our family's Acura Legend needed a new set of $600 fuel injectors because
it was hard to start after 60,000 easy miles.  Japanese cars are NOT more
economical than American cars.

>2.  Buying a Japanese car puts money into the American economy.  Let's say you
>are buying a $20,000 luxury Japanese car.  The salesman certainly makes money
>on this deal.  Let's say he gets a $200 commission on the deal.  Before your
>$20,000 check is mailed to Japan, he gets his commission!  That's $200 he can
>spend on the US economy.  Let's say Japan sells 50,000 of these cars in
>America.  That's $200 x 50,000 or 10 million dollars into the good old US
>economy.  That's no small change!  Besides, if we did not buy these Japanese
>cars, that salesman would be out of work!  What would he do - sell American
>cars?  Of course not - no one buys American cars.  That's my point - buying
>Japanese cars adds millions of dollars to the US economy and puts people to
>work.  Definitely good for America.

Nobody buys American cars? GM alone, even in today's troubled times still
outsells all of Japan and Europe combined.  ANd you're saying that its
good for the economy if the salesman makes a $200 commission on that sale.
Well, if the car came from an American company, then there would be a lot
more money into our economy than just the $200.

>3.  Buying Japanese cars fosters competition.  And what is more American than
>good old competition.  Buying Japanese cars and putting US auto workers into

Agreed.  Competition was what created an awesome car like the Cadillac
STS Northstar.

>4.  Buying a Japanese car is best for ME.  What is more American than looking
>out for your own self-interest?  A higher percentage of upper class Americans

Agreed.  American is doing what you want to do. 

>5.  Buying a Japanese car is "American".  Many people think buying an American
>car is American but they are wrong.  First, look at Japan in the 60's and 70's.
> Their cars were junk but the Japanese still bought these cars instead of
>importing the better American cars.  They supported their auto companies until
>these companies were able to improve their product to the level they are at
>today.  Many of these Japanese consumers would not even think of buying an
>American car because it was "anti-Japanese" and anti-patriotic.  So being
>patriotic is a Japanese thing.  So those who say to buy American are patriotic
>and therefore very much like the Japanese in the 60's and 70's.  And being like
>the Japanese is definitely not American.  Therefore, those who state that you
>should buy American are definitely not American.  Therefore, buying Japanese
>cars is definitely American.  See?


Thats the most fucked up, twisted sense of logic I think I've heard all year.
You're saying that its patriotic for Japanese to buy their own cars, but 
since we shouldn't be like the Japanese, it's not American to buy American?
I think you've been eating too much sushi.  The only way I could make a 
connection as to how buying a Japanese car is American is because a lot of
their cars are made here, like the Toyota Camry.  Buying an American product
is obviously going to support our troubled economy the most, so buying
American is definately an American thiung to do.  If we as Americans support
our own industry, just as you said the Japanese did in the 60's and 70's,
then our cars will only get better, right?


>6.  Japanese cars are "in".  It is definitely "cool" to drive a Japanese car
>and what is more American than being "cool".  I miss my teenage years so being
>"cool" is definitely important to me.  So a Mitsubishi Eclipse is "cool" while
>an Eagle Talon is not.  See?  Some Japanese cars are even cooler than others. 
>Look at the Acura line.  This is definitely a cool line of cars.  Take the
>Integra.  So what if its just a Honda Civic with different body panels at twice
>the price.  It's still an Acura and therefore definitely cooler than the Honda
>and definitely more cooler than any American car including the Talon.  

That's another screwed sense of logic.  You're saying that buying an American
product is not a "cool" thing to do.  I'm sorry, but I doubt there are many
people here that would dissagree with me in saying that it is more "cool"
to cruise down Sunset Blvd. in a '57 Chevy convertible than it is in a 
MItsubishi Eclipse.  And also, how the hell can you say an Eclipse is cool
but an Eagle Talon is not.  They're the same goddamn car!  One other thing.
Don't say that something like a 300zx is more "cool" than a Corvette.  
Cars like Mustang 5.0's or Camaro Z28's are definately  "cool."  Nothing 
like cruising through a mountain road in a 5.0 convertible with that awesome
V8 sound coming from the back.



>7.  Putting US auto-workers out of work is good for America.  Let's say a U
>auto plant goes under.  A few workers loose their jobs.  So what!  First of
>all, they were making bad cars anyway - they do not deserve to work!  Second,
>they are going to collect unemployment anyway.  They can spend this money on
>the economy which will definitely HELP the U.S. economy.  Eventually they will
>find one of those new "service" jobs like working at McDonald's.  Besides, if
>enough people loose their jobs we would need to open another unemployment
>office which means we need to hire more people to staff the office which
>CREATES jobs.  You see?  This definitely helps the economy by creating jobs and
>putting more money into the economy.


BAH! I'm not even going to bother answering this one.  I'm actually starting
to laugh now.



>So stop your whining.  Buy a Japanese car like the rest of us and if anyone
>starts an argument with you, just pull out this list of justifications and you
>can beat them at their own argument!

HAH!  Whatever dude.  Whenever anyone tells me that Japanese cars are better,
I always ask them, "Which Japanese car is better suited for the hellish
brutality that law enforcement subjects their units to than mine?"  So far
nobody's been able to answer that one.

Oh well, I have a paper to write.  l8r!

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| Andrew Krenz       | Visit          | Chevy Caprice 9C1 Police Pkg |
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