Targeting Toyota: US Economic War Directed Against Japan

worth a thought

Graeme

I was just discussing this with my business partner yesterday. We are both of the opinion that there is nothing wrong with Toyota's cars and it is simply an "economic sabotage" beatup. Either that or we have a repeat of the late 80s Audi "unintended acceleration" debacle which ultimately turned out to be caused by technologically illiterate and litigious females wearing high heels, and unable to distinguish between the accelerator and brake pedals, but refusing to admit it could ever be their error.

I would never buy a Toyota though, because they are the antithesis of what I look for in transportation - they are boring, bland and uber-reliable appliances. In other words, the least likely vehicles to have the sort of problems the press / US congress is saying they have.

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Garry from Oz - powered by Burgman

That link provides an excellent analysis. I especially liked this comment:

"Japan's new liberal government is fighting deflation using the traditional methodology, by lowering interest rates and increasing fiscal stimulus. But that's not what Washington wants. Neoliberal policymakers and their buddies in the right-wing think tanks want "fiscal consolidation" which means harsh austerity measures that will deepen the recession, increase unemployment, and trigger a wave of defaults and bankruptcies. This is how western corporatists and bank tycoons keep their thumb on the developing world and thrust their economies into perennial crisis. It's the "shock doctrine" and it's been the IMF's modus operandi for over 20 years. Japan is being stuffed into a fiscal straight-jacket by supporters of the Washington consensus whose goal is to weaken government and accelerate the privatization of public assets and services."

IMO, this is pretty accurate. And having a wave of further bankruptcies and defaults will also ensure Obama is a one term president, something the Tea Party and Republicans have focused their efforts on from day one. They don't care if the whole world falls around them ... they want power back!

Their next big push from the Right Wing/Republicans is to privatize Social Security and Medi-Care. This represents a treasonous threat to all Americans.

I've watched the Govt. hearings on Toyota here and the "so-called" govt. DOT technical experts are simply laughable in terms of how little they know and understand about the possible sources of these "problems". Truly a joke.

I DO believe there are some issues with some Toyota's but NO ONE in the US DOT (dept. of transportation) really have a clue what they might be and are really guys who need to be fired from their jobs. Useless Dead Wood.
Our Govt. is loaded with millions of useless cogs who really just push paper and are about 20 years behind on the skill required to really help understand such a problem. Pathetic.

In the end buyers will back Toyota who have smoked American companies for the last 30 years, providing better cars in every way, a cars that have always been better value than any American car. Their reputation is solid and this Tar & Feathering witch hunt will soon be brushed aside.

Many Americans are politically ignorant, after all they elected Bush, twice.
But in the end they are better about understanding and recognizing a good product. Most folks gave up on American car makers many years ago and won't be coming back anytime soon. The good news is Toyota now employs more Americans than GM! (if you count subsideries)

As an engineer who's done vehicle recalls, the congressional hearings reminded me of film of 1950's communist witch hunts. Ask any engineer the question starting " Can you 100% guarantee...." and the answer will be a firm no. Only politicians say yes.

Andy

I couldn't agree more on this one.
I am somehow reminded of how Suzuki took an arse whooping in the media over "rolling" samurai.

It's a smear campaign, at last ditch effort by the American auto industry to take someone down with them.
Here's Toyota, no bailouts and producing a hybrid car for several years now. Meanwhile GM keeps promising the "Volt" which is a joke, not to mention a mystery.
It makes me want to rent "who killed the electric car" documentary.

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The white man build big fire and stands far away.
The red man builds a small fire, and sits in front of it.

how is it when these things crop up on a worldwide product it's only Americans that get killed? Is it the consequence of a risk averse public and political system which renders people incapable of taking care of themselves?
The recent ash cloud debacle bought to mind the same thinking, except now with the brits in our increasingly cotton wool society. whilst many went to extraordinary lengths to organise their trip home independantly, others just seemed to sit around like stunned mullets waiting for someone else to resolve the problem for them.
Ah, that feels better, and breathe!

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1990 Landcruiser H60. Full rebuild completed 2014