$3,000,000,000,000

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(viking31 @ Oct 18 2007, 08:44 AM) [snapback]527276[/snapback]</div>

When the dollar falls imports will be more expensive .You would think a corp like GM would be thankful to have a competitive market edge.
WRONG
GM will raise its prices across the board to match the imports increase. They cant help themselves but to gouge the American consumer .

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(malorn @ Oct 18 2007, 01:47 PM) [snapback]527400[/snapback]</div>

Ive heard you make claims of unfair competition from Japan and China.Would you care to give some links to information which supports this assertion?
I agree we are getting our asses kicked but I doubt its because of unfair practices.
The Japanese build better quality.Why do they need to cheat?The Chinese workers make a tenth (a hundreth ?they make $50 a month)of an American worker ,why do they need to cheat to compete with us?
But if you would care to examine US subsidies there are many examples.Agriculture is heavily subsidized by the government.
Any industry receiving Defence Dept money is likely receiving a subsidy padding their bill.Do you think those $100 hammers and toilet seats in 1970s dollars were clerical errors?
Anyway I think the ones screwing the American public are the American corporations.They can make more profit by importing than they can by manufacturing .They have no allegiance to the American worker and if they can make more from foreign scab workers then they will .American corporations only need us as consumers until we are bankrupt.They will move their HQ to Dubai as Haliburton recently did .Then they wont even have to pay American taxes.
If you want to blame someone of cheating, look no further than the American corporation.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(malorn @ Oct 18 2007, 04:46 PM) [snapback]527479[/snapback]</div>

History

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(malorn @ Oct 18 2007, 10:42 AM) [snapback]527329[/snapback]</div>

Which is why in all honesty - not that I personally have anything against you - I really don't think you will like politics. Friends of mine who were involved in local - city - politics actually quit in disgust. It's not worth selling your soul just to fit in with the creeps, might as well carry it to the next logical level and join a mafia family.

Remember that those buffoons - the vast majority of the bureaucracy and elected officials we have - got us into this mess. No foreign power just marched in and took over, far from it. We - and by "we" I mean those buffoons - handed them everything, including the kitchen sink. Bit late to do anything about it now.

Whether it was Canadian Liberal politicians who created the cripling national debt or the American politicians who sold their country out to foreign interests, we're in the same boat. My only concern now is finding a country that is energy self-sufficient, which is why I chose Canada.

Let's not kid outselves, we will become involved in very major conflicts over the Black Gold

 

lets face it, malorn biggest beef about china and japans trade surplus is that its american money not going to him for the crap he peddles.

no amount of finagling is going to put china or japan on top if they cannot back their product.china does it by flooding the market with cheap but japan does it by simply doing it better.... MUCH better

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(viking31 @ Oct 18 2007, 08:44 AM) [snapback]527276[/snapback]</div>

Here's the secret to making a killing in the stock market.
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ready?
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lucky that I'm not charging for this
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the secret to success in the stock market is
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Buy low, and sell high.
[laughing]

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The reality of it is that the Dollar has been in decline for decades, and in a sense, this Country has been going out of business for decades, too.

Take a look at airlines for example. Very sensitive to the price of oil.

European airlines are much better investments primarily 'cause they don't have to buy oil with Dollars. Conditions being equal, the European airline will perform better 'cause energy is cheaper for it than the airline in the U.S.

Fact is, most of the gain in price in oil that we hear about is only if you buy it in Dollars; if you use Euros, oil has actually been remarkably stable.

This dynamic is present in other areas of business, too, and despite all the talk of a weak Dollar equalizing trade imbalance, a weak Dollar is (in my layperson's opinion) not an intrinsically positive thing. Worse, if folks begin to migrate away from using the Dollar as the de facto standard for valuing commodities, we're going to experience even more trouble than we might be already.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinto Girl @ Oct 18 2007, 06:20 PM) [snapback]527516[/snapback]</div>

HEHEhehe you kill me. Seriously, my left arm just went numb from laughing too hard!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinto Girl @ Oct 18 2007, 06:20 PM) [snapback]527516[/snapback]</div>

Very true and that alone should be a sobering wake-up for Americans. What happens if Euro's suddenly become preferred for international trade? The dollar really isn't worth anything, it's just paper. Although we have never experienced true hyperinflation, that doesn't mean it won't hit us in the near future.

When most of the economy is floated along on debt - public and private (Credit cards, shady loans, etc) - those IOU's eventually have to be repaid. Or the lender, in this case China, may simply take possession of key national monuments in exchange for the IOU's.

I really don't want to think about what might happen if the currency collapses. What if folks run ape and it leads to a civil war? Although currency wipeouts frequently happen in third world and developing world nations, about the only experience we have is interest rates around 20% during the latter part of Carter's presidency.

An interest rate of 20% is nothing compared to several hundred percent.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(malorn @ Oct 19 2007, 11:07 AM) [snapback]527767[/snapback]</div>

I have to take exception to that comment. In my business I have been to Paraguay, Brasil, South Africa, Australia, China, India, and of course most of the EU member countries.

In the case of Paraguay and Brasil, folks there really have to skimp and save to be able to afford the equivalent of $80,000-$100,000 USD for a turbodiesel Toyota Land Cruiser. I’ve seen a few ancient Dodge 1 ton and 2 ton trucks, and a mid 80’s Ford pickup.

In South Africa, I saw what looked like a Land Rover from the early 1970’s. All beat up and generally in sad shape. The window sticker really caught my eye:

“I’d sooner push a Landy then drive a Cruiserâ€

There are plenty of Ford’s around, but I have never spotted a Chevy brand there. Granted I was only there for two weeks, and was really busy with work so no sight-seeing. Unless for some reason the government of South Africa prohibits GM vehicles and is in bed with Toyota, I wonder why the lack of GM vehicles in SA?

In Australia, a Toyota Land Cruiser is priced anywhere from $60,000-$95,000 Australian dollars, depending on options. Yes, that is really expensive by any standard. Most are equipped with a turbodiesel.

GM operates in Australia under the Holden name. Although the Holden Captiva is smaller than the LC, it is priced from $40,000-$60,000. A ute like the Rodeo crew cab flat deck is priced from $26,000 and up. A classic ute that we would identify here as an El Camino, is called the Crewman and is priced from about $33,000 and up

There are also plenty of Ford’s in Australia. The Escape is similar to the model in North America. The Territory is about the same size as an Explorer here, and is priced from $37,000 to $65,000, depending on options

So I find it interesting that in most markets, Toyota is quite pricey in contrast to the “domestic†flavors (Ford, GM/Holden).

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(malorn @ Oct 19 2007, 11:07 AM) [snapback]527767[/snapback]</div>

The Japanese discount rate has been around 1/2 % for over ten years.It has gone as low as 0.1 % .
I find it hard to believe that Toyota even needs to borrow money .But I find it even harder to believe that they need government assistance to get a loan with a lower rate than
1/2 %.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mojo @ Oct 18 2007, 05:38 PM) [snapback]527474[/snapback]</div>

Price gouging? Where? Who? Is a GM automobile the only car you are allowed or can purchase? Of course not! By definition price gouging can ONLY occur when you are limited (as in monopoly) to the purchase of a product or service. GM simply charges what it feels necessary to remain in business. The final price of a new automobile is a very highly refined process which takes into account thousands of factors.

They have fallen on hard times lately but it is because they produce unreliable and poorly constructed automobiles relative to the competition. They also failed to foresee high fuel prices which also hurt their bottom line. If fuel prices were still below $2.00/gallon or less, GM (and Ford for that matter) would be doing much better.

Rick
#4 2006

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(malorn @ Oct 19 2007, 11:37 AM) [snapback]527795[/snapback]</div>

Whoops, something didn't copy properly. I edited the reply in a word processor.

What I meant to say is that *despite* the fact a Toyota is generally more expensive - even *far* more expensive - than the "domestic" or American brand, folks still buy them. Yes, here in Canada most Toyota's are priced up to 40% higher than the same unit in the US, despite the Canadian dollar hovering around Par.

If this really is due to folks "drinking the Kool Aid," there must be a lot of purple Kool Aid in Brasil, Paraguay, South Africa, and Australia. Especially considering the road conditions in Paraguay, South Africa, and rural Australia, you'd think folks there would rather drive a full size American made Chevy Silvo than a smaller ute.

After all, apparently the full size Vortec truck gets same or better fuel economy than a smaller ute from Toyota. They could probably be priced far cheaper too. I'm just wondering why I have only seen one Suburban, in Sweden, and no other American trucks

You're not suggesting some sort of global conspiracy that favors Toyota over GM, are you?

 

malorn, you act like i can get a Toyota for pennies on the dollar....well hate to burst your bubble but the exact opposite is true.

go get a 5-7,000 off on a Toyota... or try to and GOOD LUCK...

try nearly any american car and no probs...

there was a stat on 2005 cars, average price break off msrp for Toyotas $5oo and change... on a Gm, $9000...

so how does Toyota manipulate the market when there product goes for top dollar?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mojo @ Oct 18 2007, 02:58 PM) [snapback]527480[/snapback]</div>

Yep, you're correct on this one. Would you believe we pay people to not grow cotton, then we pay companies to buy US cotton? And how about the corn and sugar lobbies? People often wonder why Coca Cola tastes funny outside of the US. It is because it is made with sugar, not high fructose corn syrup like we have in the US. Sugar is more expensive in the US than the rest of the world, and the sugar and corn lobbies like it. Lifesavers are now made in Canada because it is cheaper to buy sugar up there.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mojo @ Oct 18 2007, 02:58 PM) [snapback]527480[/snapback]</div>

I have to disagree with you here. You say that companies have no allegiance to the American worker. This may be true, but the converse is definitely true too. They are more interested in themselves for the short term rather than the long term health of the company. If the company can't remain competitive in the world marketplace with American workers, it will be out of business.

A good example is Northwest Airlines. When they were in bankruptcy, their mechanics union went on strike. What a stupid, greedy thing to do. Northwest, being in bankruptcy, didn't have much choice and fired all the mechanics, hired non-union labor, and outsourced its engine maintenance. A year or two later, the union settled with the airline. The mechanics could accept layoff and get a severance, or quit. The greed of the union and mechanics got themselves fired.

I don't understand the anti-corporate sentiment out there. Yeah, there has been some abuse, which really is bad, but it is the exception, rather than the rule. For the most part, corporations employ a big percentage of the American public, giving them the chance to earn a living, and earning money for the share holders, which again, is mostly the American public in their 401(k)s, IRAs, and personal savings.