Toyota could soon eclipse wounded GM giant

once again, globalism.

if it's much more than just the auto industry, then stop using toyota as an effigy. it's getting old.

 

Fine. So lets end all that, and declare economic war, like you say.

Unfortunate that our country has allies and friends around the world instead of being purely isolationist, isn't it?

 

Unfortunate for Boeing, it seems. So what are we doing about it?

 

It seems to me that everything you are talking about is among coporations and the government and out of the hands of the consumer.

 

The only way you are going to create a "level playing field" is compel our domestic (originated) manufacturers into putting priority on quality products and customer service - if its not too late. With that, and if it's not to late, the good reputation will follow. With a good reputation, quality product and customer service,.....and you know the rest of the story.

 

So now we're going to nit-pick statistics. This is becoming circular and pointless.

All I can gather from your increasingly empty posts is that global trade is ok only if one country controls it, and it's ok if that one country dictates terms to the rest of the world.

Explain to me why it's "good" for the United States to screw over other countries - eg NAFTA and Canada - but it's "bad" when other countries export to the United States?

And why despite the WTO ruling, the United States still hasn't reimbursed the Canadian softwood lumber industry one penny. Thus, we'll do business with China and India, they seem to treat us more fairly.

 

We've already tried to tell him that. He isn't taking his medication, it isn't sinking in.

Well, I've got to get ready for a date. Good luck debating this pointless circular arguement with Malorn. You'll need it. Everything from fiscal irresponsibility, HIV, declining education standards, to sunspots can now be blamed on Toyota.

<_<

 

The trade "surplus" has grown thanks to initiatives on the Canadian government to increase local manufacturing and independence. Not due to a phony NAFTA scam.

NAFTA: forced MMT additives back in our gasoline because the American maker, Ethyl Corp, threatened to sue the Canadian gov over withdrawing it from Canadian gasoline.

Of course, MMT isn't allowed in gasoline in the U.S.

NAFTA: Softwood lumber tariffs, which the WTO ruled for Canada and ordered restitution. Um, we're still waiting for the check you know.

NAFTA: cattle ranchers in the American midwest can cry to their senator, and the border stays closed to Canadian beef. That decimated the Canadian cattle business. The excuse was BSE. Now that BSE has spontaneously arrived in American herds, perhaps Canada should close the border to all American beef.

NAFTA: wheat prices and exports, Canadian farmers must sell their wheat at loss-leader prices.

NAFTA: ensured Canada couldn't sell oil to the U.S. at OPEC prices but at loss-leader prices

http://www.vivelecanada.ca/index.php?topic=canusrelations

http://www.vivelecanada.ca/article.php/20050819131312814

Again, what I see is your strong desire for the U.S. to benefit at the expense of every other nation. Sorry, the world has changed.

 

why do you keep implying that the Japanese are doing something illigal???

 

How is Canada being screwed over by NAFTA? What, America doesn't get world news? From any point of view other than America-centric, NAFTA has absolutely nothing to do with the concept of free trade, and everything to do with making sure the US always comes out ahead. In Canada, NAFTA stands for "Not A Free Trade Agreement" and "Nearly Always Favours The Americans".

 

ahh!! a politician... that explains a LOT~!!

 

I think GM will always be here. They made bad decisions in the past, late sixties to late seventies, that they are still dealing with--ike medical benefits for past retires. They also have to deal with unions and compensate their workers about twice what Toyota does.

Right now GM is not in a postion to take risks. After they dump their pension liablilties on the rest of us then they will have room to manuver and probably make much better cars. Fixed penisions should be illegal because everyone gets screwed in the end!

GM is fully capable of making cars as good as anyone else in the world but deals they made in the past (mainly with the unions) leaves them little room to manuver.

While Airbus is being subidized by european governments, Boing is being subsidized as well--through military contracts. Some of the technologies developed for the military are tranferable to the commercial divisions. A friend of mine from Boing pointed out the subsity angle, although that wasn't the word he used.

Overall Boeing probably has better aircraft than Airbus because the American work ethic is superior to that of western europe and because of possible litigation if Boeing screws up. There are no direct subsities so it is more likely to make every dollar count. Unfortunately we have many politicians that are trying to destroy our work ethic or at least make it the same as Western Europe.

Its hard to argue what is fair trade because most countries have advantages in certain industries. Still the world is better off with trade even if it seems to be unfair in some instances. In a lot of cases it is because industies with little or no competion are sudedenly forced to compete with similar foreign industries that have a lot of competition. Like GM when it suddenly had to compete with Toyota and Honda.

Japan is good at high tech manufacturing because it must import all of its energy and raw materials. It needs to be good at industries that have a dense dollar value, like high tech manufacturing and the whole country is set up with that mindset.

US affluence has made it good at marketing. There is no real imperative for us to be good at high tech manufacturing. Still if the US loses its image of affluance it will probably lose it marketing advantage as well.

Personally I think litigation is whats killing the US more than any other factor. I know of manufactures that pay one out of every five dollars in revenue for insurance.

 

Fist of all I question that the American work etic is superior to that of Western Europe. Based on what?

And secondly, noone makes better products based on job etics alone. There are a host of other ingredients coming into play.

Thirdly - who says that the best product(s) wins the market? There are many good examples of great products that didn't make it and vice versa...