6/EDITORIAL January 20, 1992
Leaders pass buck and
blame in trade dilemma
A recent poll in Time magazine showed more than 75
percent of the 500 American adults asked believe that poor
management by U.S. business leaders is the major reason for
the trade imbalance with Japan. I agree with them.
I, like most Americans, own many Japanese products. I
drive a Toyota Corolla. I asked for, and received, a Minolta
Maxum camera for my 18th birthday. I have a Sanyo stereo
(antiquated as it may be). Even the frames of my eyeglasses
sport the infamous "Made in Japan" label. Am I the reason
for the trade imbalance? Am I unamerican? I don't think so.
It wasn't a conscious decision to buy Japanese when I
looked at these products. Buying Japanese or American
products exclusively has never been an issue in my mind. I
buy what gives the best performance, lasts the longest or is
the easiest to work. Or maybe I just like the way it looks,
sounds, or even feels.
I do not condemn, belittle or in any way look down upon
American-made products. I only know what I have bought in
the past is what works for me. If it happens to be Japanese,
then kudos to them for being one of the few companies
capable of satisfying my demands. I'm not saying an
American company could not do the same for me; they
probably could if I gave them the chance. But I, like most
Americans, am unwilling to change when I'm happy with
what I have. It works for me.
I believe that the biggest factor in the trade imbalance is
not the people buying the products, but the people who made
them available in such abundance in the first place. People
like myself have used Japanese products; we like them and we
continue to use them despite the pain it causes the economy.
We are creatures of habit, unwilling to change even in the
face of the country's suffering economy.
This being the case, should we really point fingers at one
another and pass judgement on those who "support the rape
of American industry" and other dramatic expressions? Or
should we learn from the mistakes of past U.S. business
leaders who allowed, encouraged and even profited from the
influx of Japanese products into the market?
Bush's trip was a dying knight's last valiant effort to save
the kingdom from thieving bandits. Bandits, to whom castle
guards opened the gate, with smiling faces and open,waiting
hands. Apparently Bush is one of the few Americans to not
realize the kingdom's been overrun; the castle mortaged and
his people sold on the lowest bidder.
To most Americans the highlight of Bush's trip was his
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"hurling" on the trousers of Japanese Prime Minister Kiichi
Miyazawa. Outside of that unsettling spectacle, the general
public had little or no interest in the outcome of Bush's trip.
The most known fact about the trip was not Bush's attempts
to secure "jobs, jobs, jobs;" but that the bill he and his
entourage racked up on the 12-day journey was nearly as
costly as the entire Gulf War.
Needless to say, Bush's popularity is no longer slowly
slipping, but deflating as rapidly as helium from a party
balloon. The end of November may find Bush doing spots
for Turns unless he's able to turn the recession and spirits of
Americans around. Until then we wait and watch...on our big
screen Sony televisions.
( Capital Times j
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Karen Tt. Putt
Editor -tn-chiej