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- I think I have a solution to the Japanese problem.
-
- Instead of making America a protectionist state, why not take
- the opposite approach and make it more competitive? It
- involves this strategy: let everything made in America and
- sold in Japan be tax free to American corporations. The plan
- benefits nearly everyone:
-
- It benefits the American consumer by allowing the sale
- of inexpensive Japanese goods to continue in America.
-
- It benefits American labor by providing jobs.
-
- It benefits the American economy and government by
- helping to end the balance of trade deficit and by
- increased revenues through additional employment.
-
- It benefits the Japanese consumer through lower cost
- goods and services.
-
- It benefits Japanese industry through cheaper raw
- materials.
-
- It benefits the Japanese by allowing a steady stream of
- exports from their country to continue.
-
- The only sector that might complain is the Japanese
- government; worried about their world economic share. They
- have no reason to complain. They have been protectionist
- long enough, but you can claim that the incredibly strong
- dollar makes taking such action fair and wise.
-
- American businesses love to take advantage of a tax angle. I
- think enactment of this plan will help bring more pressure to
- bear on Japanese sales than diplomatic efforts.
-
- You will probably have to stipulate that products, in order
- to qualify for the tax free status, must be 100% made in
- America, otherwise a few unscrupulous businessmen will have
- all their sub-assemblies made abroad but do final assembly
- here before export. That would not help as much as a 100%
- made in America item, and the 100% rule would make you a king
- with the labor unions without really giving anything to them.
-
- Please do not listen to the pundits who would have you remove
- military support from Japan. Japan is in a key strategic
- position.
-
- Also, ignore the reactionaries who would have you return
- America to isolationism. That would only invoke a trade war
- that would help few and hurt many.
-
- I think you might find bipartisan support for this proposal.
- I am willing to write a few hundred letters to support it if
- you are!
-