Nation Itself Is to Blame

As a youngster, I remember our great railroad system and our busy merchant marine. Now I see a decrepit merchant marine service, a second-rate rail system, a nonexistent shoe manufacturing business, half an effort in steel manufacturing and a declining automobile business. The next to go will surely be our air transportation. Do we blame all this on Japan?

Instead of listening to the demands of the customer, most of the above manufactured a product they thought would bring in the best profit in the shortest amount of time. The railroads and the steel industry never kept up with the latest production and equipment improvements. The auto manufacturers kept making cars much too large and allowed foreign markets to outperform American products.

Sure, there are many other factors involved--one being government subsidy. This is what some of our competition is doing. The greatest country in the world is being threatened. Why then, I ask, don’t we find a remedy before it gets worse?

Mr. Bush, CEOs and all those in Congress, you are supposed to be the leaders! Where are you leading us?

LES SNYDER, Mission Viejo