U.S.-Japan Relations

Noda has written a thoughtful piece on U.S.-Japan relations. However, he may not know that many Americans are more frustrated by the stupidity, incompetence, sloth and greed of their elected representatives than they are by the economic success of Japan. While it is true that Japan closes its markets to American products while America opens its markets to Japanese products, Japan is only using our own rules against us, like antitrust laws and lobbying for favorable legislation, for example--rules that too often benefit chiefly lawyers and politicians at the expense of other Americans.

Americans are noted as a generous people and most do not begrudge Japan’s success; however, thoughtful persons would prefer a win-win situation to one that benefits Japan at the expense of America, whose standard of living has been dropping for two decades! Clearly, bilateral trade and not trade barriers is the right solution. But how can this be achieved?

A courageous President could force Japan to move meaningfully by stopping all Japanese imports at midnight tonight. Howls of anguish would reach hurricane force, but Japan would finally negotiate bilateral trade and open its markets to American products. Consequently, both countries would see an improved standard of living, a win-win result.

WILFRED P. CHARETTE

Glendale