Pat Buchanan: The Toyota Republicans

Human Events ^ | December 16, 2008 | Patrick J. Buchanan

[Mi-kha-el]

It is time to set up the US Conservative Party with a solid conservative platfrom. I do not understand what the Republican Party is about anymore these days. Like Sharon had the audacity to break the traditional 2-party system and created the Kadima party.

[RichInOC]

In a good year, Americans buy 17 million cars. A more populous EU probably buys as many. Three billion people in India, Southeast Asia and China, four times as many people as there are in the EU and United States, are moving toward the middle class. They, too, will be wanting cars. And millions of them love American cars.

Then let them buy them.

[McGruff]

Starting at his first point.

“GOP to Detroit: Drop Dead!”

I don't think it was only republicans who were opposed to this UAW bailout.

[Murp]

“Chrysler repaid the loan”

Yes they did! Now something interesting happened in Tupelo, Mississippi yesterday. Toyota announced they were suspending construction of a taxpayer subsidized assembly plant to build gas efficient cars. Will they pay the subsidies back? Don't really know, but with the Yen rising against the dollar they are going to have to raise prices substantially for their American built vehicles or shut down and go home!! If gas stays cheap, Ford F150 sales and SUV sales will begin to recover market share. The irony in all this is that the Dems are supporting the loans to the Big 3, which will help them survive to sell full sized vehicles again, and the Repubs are opposing the loans, which will help the imports change Americas buying habits forever, in the direction of “Green environmentally friendly compact cars”. How convoluted this whole mess has become. Freepers oppose the loans and thereby support the environmental wackos goal of driving cute little tin cans that will save us from global warming. Al Gore must love these Repubs!!

[dragnet2]

I read a lot of anti-Buchanan rants here....the same ones who regurgitate the failed Free Trade mantra

The same ones that look at the 1950s with disdain, while trying to convince the easily led that what we have now in America is somehow a good thing.

[goldstategop]

Saving American jobs is bad for whom? I think that's a good use of taxpayers' money. Do we want to save foreign companies, that's what we would be doing by shuttering Detroit.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[70th Division]

Yes and early too.

[sam_paine]

I’ll take 1954 all over again. The good _and_ the bad.

The cars and the music were cool. The cold war, Korean War, dig a hole in your backyard fallout shelters were less so!

[MortMan]

What are Republicans thinking of, pulling the plug, at Christmas, on GM, risking swift death for the greatest manufacturing company in American history, a strategic asset and pillar of the U.S. economy.

What constitutional authority gives congress the right to donate my hardearned money to a failing or at-risk PRIVATE company? Christmas or not, the financial bailout and any auto bailout are equally anathema to constitutional governance.

[napscoordinator]

1950’s were not great. Alot of child abuse (hidden) wife beating (hidden) and a lot of other unspeakable stuff.

[tbpiper]

The 1950’s weren’t so bad

The GM of the 50's is not the GM of today. If the UAW were in the railroad industry, we'd be looking a bailing out steam engine production.

[70th Division]

Ya can you crank out a B-24 every hour like the Willow Run Ford plant did during the 40’s?

[Uri’el-2012]

isn't Pat Buchanan involved with KooKs like Ross Perot and Jesse Ventura ?

[Fishrrman]

“When it comes to economic matters, Buchanan is purely and simply a statist.”

I would much prefer Mr. Buchanan as my “statist” to the statism of Mr. Obama.
Which is what we’re going to get....

- John

[pappyone]

Dear Pat B,
You must have been asleep for the past couple of months, the union folks voted for Obama. Now you are crying about the bad old Republicans not helping out those same union voters. News flash, union members and blacks ALWAYS vote Democrate. Republicans can kow-tow to the unions until the cows come home and still not get their votes. So f’um, the unions can beg the Obama for my tax money next year.

[dfwgator]

Saving American jobs is bad for whom? I think that's a good use of taxpayers' money.

You're assuming that the money will actually save the jobs in the first place. I don't think it will make a damn bit of difference in the long run, but it will only extend a bad precedent.

[Cyman]

“Has Pat Buchanan ever heard of the low wages in China , backed by very hard working Chinese workers who are very good at making consumer electronics products like cell phones, TV sets, laptops etc?”

I believe that you just proved his point.

[Citizen Blade]

In the '50s? You mean when America was great, and respected in every corner of the globe, and feared by all enemies, or what was left of them at that point.

At the end of WWII, pretty much every other major industrial power had its industrial infrastructure in ruins. The US economy had very little competition and the world needed us to build as many good as as we possibly could.

But, it's now 60 years later. Japan and Germany have rebuilt, as have the other industrial powers. China's industry is growing, as are the industries of other, formerly undeveloped, nations.

I take it you can see why the economic situation in 2008 is different from that of 1950, right?

[polymuser]

"America faces nationalistic trade rivals who manipulate currencies, employ nontariff barriers, subsidize their manufacturers, rebate value-added taxes on exports to us and impose value-added taxes on imports from us, all to capture our markets and kill our great companies."

Is this true? If so, that's not exactly 'free trade', is it?

[tumblindice]

You both make good points in posts# 47 and #48, and from both sides of the issue.
Re-framed the issue might be: in this economic `triage’, can these patients be saved, and we have the option of asking—should they be saved?
A month ago we were told that if we didn’t revive Wall Street with tax dollars, we wouldn’t be able to write checks come Christmas. Now the automakers (and UAW) are saying, don’t help us and millions of Americans are out of work. I don’t know what to believe.