mc.risingsun-第45章

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y　ally　against　Russia。　Okay？〃
　〃Okay　。　。　。〃
　〃Now；　licensing　is　a　bad　idea。　It　means　Japan　gets　our　technology　for　their　own　use；　and　we　lose　Japan　as　an　export　market。　Pretty　soon　Japan　begins　to　make　cheap　black…and…white　TVs　and　exports　them　to　America　…　something　we　can't　do　in　Japan；　right？　By　1972；　sixty　percent　of　American　black…and…white　sales　are　imports。　By　1976；　one　hundred　percent　are　imports。　We've　lost　the　black…and…white　market。　American　workers　don't　make　those　sets　any　more。　Those　jobs　are　gone　from　America。
　〃We　say　it　doesn't　matter：　our　panies　have　moved　on　to　color。　But　the　Japanese　government　starts　an　intensive　program　to　develop　a　color…television　industry。　Once　again；　Japan　licenses　American　technology；　refines　it　in　their　protected　markets；　and　floods　us　with　exports。　Once　again；　exports　drive　out　American　panies。　Exactly　the　same　story。　By　1980　only　three　American　panies　still　make　color　TVs。　By　1987；　there's　only　one；　Zenith。〃
　〃But　Japanese　sets　were　better　and　cheaper；〃　I　said。
　〃They　may　have　been　better；〃　Ron　said；　〃but　they　were　only　cheaper　because　they　were　sold　below　production　cost；　to　wipe　out　American　petitors。　That's　called　dumping。　It's　illegal　under　both　American　and　international　law。〃
　〃Then　why　didn't　we　stop　it？〃
　〃Good　question。　Especially　since　dumping　was　only　one　of　many　illegal　Japanese　marketing　techniques。　They　also　fixed　prices：　they　had　something　called　the　Tenth…Day　Group。　Japanese　managers　met　every　ten　days　in　a　Tokyo　hotel　to　set　prices　in　America。　We　protested；　but　the　meetings　continued。　They　also　pushed　distribution　of　their　products　by　collusive　arrangements。　The　Japanese　allegedly　paid　millions　in　kickbacks　to　American　distributors　like　Sears。　They　engaged　in　massive　customs　fraud。　And　they　destroyed　the　American　industry；　which　could　not　pete。
　〃Of　course；　our　panies　protested；　and　sued　for　relief　…　there　were　dozens　of　cases　of　dumping；　fraud；　and　antitrust　brought　against　Japanese　panies　in　federal　court。　Dumping　cases　are　usually　resolved　within　a　year。　But　our　government　provided　no　help　…　and　the　Japanese　are　skilled　foot…draggers。　They　paid　American　lobbyists　millions　to　plead　their　case。　By　the　time　the　suits　came　to　trial　twelve　years　later；　the　battle　was　over　in　the　marketplace。　And　of　course　all　during　this　time；　American　panies　could　never　fight　back　in　Japan。　They　couldn't　even　get　a　foot　in　the　door　in　Japan。〃
　〃You're　saying　the　Japanese　took　over　the　television　industry　illegally？〃
　Ron　shrugged。　〃They　couldn't　have　done　it　without　our　help；〃　he　said。　〃Our　government　was　coddling　Japan；　which　they　saw　as　a　tiny　emerging　country。　And　American　industry　was　perceived　as　not　needing　government　help。　There's　always　been　a　strain　of　antibusiness　sentiment　in　America。　But　our　government　never　seemed　to　realize；　it's　just　not　the　same　here。　When　Sony　develops　the　Walkman；　we　don't　say；　'Nice　product。　Now　you　have　to　license　it　to　GE　and　sell　it　through　an　American　pany。'　If　they　seek　distribution；　we　don't　tell　them；　'I'm　sorry；　but　American　stores　all　have　preexisting　arrangements　with　American　suppliers。　You'll　have　to　distribute　through　an　American　pany　here。'　If　they　seek　patents；　we　don't　say；　'Patents　take　eight　years　to　be　awarded；　during　which　time　your　application　will　be　publicly　available　so　that　our　panies　can　read　what　you've　invented　and　copy　it　free　of　charge；　so　that　by　the　time　we　issue　a　patent　our　panies　will　already　have　their　own　version　of　your　technology。'
　〃We　don't　do　any　of　those　things。　Japan　does　all　of　them。　Their　markets　are　closed。　Our　markets　are　wide　open。　It's　not　a　level　playing　field。　In　fact；　it's　not　a　playing　field　at　all。　It's　a　one…way　street。
　〃And　by　now　we　have　a　defeatist　business　climate　in　this　country。　American　panies　got　their　asses　handed　to　them　in　black…and…white　television。　They　got　their　asses　handed　to　them　in　color　television。　The　U。S。　government　refused　to　help　our　panies　fight　illegal　Japanese　trade　practices。　So　when　Ampex　invented　the　VCR；　they　didn't　even　try　to　make　a　mercial　product。　They　just　licensed　the　technology　to　Japan　and　moved　on。　And　pretty　soon　you　find　that　American　panies　don't　do　research。　Why　develop　new　technology　if　your　own　government　is　so　hostile　to　your　efforts　that　you　won't　be　able　to　bring　it　to　market？〃
　〃But　isn't　American　business　weak　and　badly　managed？〃
　〃That's　the　standard　line；〃　Ron　said。　〃As　promoted　by　the　Japanese　and　their　American　spokesmen。　It's　only　with　a　few　episodes　that　people　ever　glimpsed　how　outrageous　the　Japanese　really　were。　Like　the　Houdaille　case。　You　know　that　one？　Houdaille　was　a　machine…tool　pany　that　claimed　its　patents　and　licenses　were　being　violated　by　panies　in　Japan。　A　federal　judge　sent　Houdaille's　lawyer　to　Japan　to　gather　evidence。　But　the　Japanese　refused　to　issue　him　a　visa。〃
　〃You're　kidding。〃
　〃What　do　they　care？〃　Ron　said。　〃They　know　we'll　never　retaliate。　When　the　Houdaille　case　came　before　the　Reagan　administration；　it　did　nothing。　So　Houdaille　got　out　of　machine　tools。　Because　nobody　can　pete　against　dumped　products　…　that's　the　whole　point　of　doing　it。〃
　〃Don't　you　lose　money　if　you　dump？〃
　〃For　a　while；　yes。　But　you're　selling　millions　of　units；　so　you　can　refine　your　production　lines；　and　get　your　costs　down。　A　couple　of　years　later；　you　really　can　make　the　products　for　a　lower　cost。　Meanwhile　you've　wiped　out　the　petition　and　you　control　the　market。　You　see；　the　Japanese　think　strategically　…　they're　in　for　the　long　haul；　for　how　things　will　look　fifty　years　from　now。　An　American　pany　has　to　show　a　profit　every　three　months　or　the　CEO　and　the　officers　will　be　out　on　the　street。　But　the　Japanese　don't　care　about　short…term　profits　at　all。　They　want　market　share。　Business　is　like　warfare　to　them。　Gaining　ground。　Wiping　out　the　petition。　Getting　control　of　a　market。　That's　what　they've　been　doing　for　the　last　thirty　years。
　〃So　the　Japanese　dumped　steel；　televisions；　consumer　electronics；　puter　chips；　machine　tools　…　and　nobody　stopped　them。　And　we　lost　those　industries。　Japanese　panies　and　the　Japanese　government　target　specific　industries；　which　they　take　over。　Industry　after　industry；　year　after　year。　While　we　sit　around　and　spout　off　about　free　trade。　But　free　trade　is　meaningless　unless　there　is　also　fair　trade。　And　the　Japanese　don't　believe　in　fair　trade　at　all。　You　know；　there's　a　reason　the　Japanese　love　Reagan。　They　cleaned　up　during　his　presidency。　In　the　name　of　free　trade；　he　spread　our　legs　real　wide。〃
　〃Why　don't　Americans　understand　this？〃　I　said。
　Connor　laughed。　〃Why　do　they　eat　hamburgers？　It's　the　way　they　are；　kōhai。〃
　From　the　newsroom；　a　woman　called；　〃Somebody　named　Connor　here？　Call　for　you　from　the　Four　Seasons　Hotel。〃
　Connor　glanced　at　his　watch　and　stood　up。　〃Excuse　me。〃　He　walked　out　into　the　newsroom。　Through　the　glass　I　saw　him　talking　on　the　phone；　making　notes。
　〃You　realize；〃　Ron　said；　〃it's　all　still　going　on。　Why　is　a　Japanese　camera　cheaper　in　New　York　than　in　Tokyo？　You　ship　it　halfway　around　the　world；　pay　import　duty　and　distribution　costs；　and　it's　still　cheaper？　How　is　that　possible？　Japanese　tourists　buy　their　own　products　here　because　they're　cheaper。　Meanwhile；　American　products　in　Japan　cost　seventy　percent　more　than　here。　Why　doesn't　the　American　government　get　tough？　I　don't　know。　Part　of　the　answer　is　up　there。〃
　He　pointed　to　the　monitor　in　his　office；　a　distinguished…looking　man　was　talking　above　a　running　tickertape。　The　sound　was　turned　low。　〃You　see　that　guy？　That's　David　Rawlings。　Professor　of　business　at　Stanford。　Specialist　in　the　Pacific　Rim。　He's　a　typical　…　turn　that　up；　will　you？　He　might　be　talking　about　MicroCon。〃
　I　turned　the　knob　on　the　set。　I　heard　Rawlings　say：　〃。　。　。　think　American　attitudes　are　pletely　irrational。　After　all；　Japanese　panies　are　providing　jobs　for　Americans；　while　American　panies　are　moving　jobs　offshore；　taking　them　away　from　their　own　people。　The　Japanese　can't　understand　what　the　plaints　are　about。〃
　Ron　sighed。　〃Typical　bullshit；〃　he　said。
　On　the　screen；　Professor　Rawlings　was　saying；　〃I　think　the　American　people　are　rather　ungrateful　for　the　help　our　country　is　getting　from　foreign　i