"cc" <cpasuneadresse@spam.com> wrote in message
news:bq2br8$mmr$1@bgsv5647.tk.mesh.ad.jp...
>
> "Ryan Ginstrom" <ginstrom@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>
> > Buying locally produced goods can be good for the local economy (though
> not
> > always), but I don't think it is right to force people to do so, which
is
> > what the massive tarrif/import restriction scheme does. It is basically
> > making the people pay to prop up inefficient industries.
>
> Yes it is. I don't think free trade can be fair.

In the current world situation, I agree with you. Or rather I would say that
free trade is not possible.

But the ones getting screwed the most by so-called free trade are the poor
countries, who opened up their markets to imported manufactured goods, on
the promise that they could sell their agricultural products in return. What
happened is they bought all the cars and electronics, but the rich countries
subsidize their famers and keep food imports out of the country.

> My position is not to
> instaure a communist system, but to allow a part of agriculture/industry
to
> be more protected.

How should it be protected? You already said, tarrifs are a bad idea.

As for protection from the lying, cheating megacorps, that's a more endemic
problem in Japan and not limited (or even primarily confined) to agriculture
and retail.

But even if we hypothetically prevent corporations from performing unethical
or illegal actions, the mom and pop stores will still surely die unless they
can somehow convince their customers that they offer something different and
better. I.e. differentiate. This basically boils down to service, knowing
the customer base better than some far-removed corporate executive can, and
offering a different product set.

One good example is a tempura# shop near my house. Someone walks into the
shop, the owner looks them in the eye and says "irasshaimase." In other
words, he actually greets his customers. You walk into a combini or chain
restaurant, and the staff say "irasshaimase" to the ceiling on reflex when
they hear the door jingle, as they continue to wipe the table or whatever
they were doing. It's like they're thanking the gods of Commerce for
bringing them another sale, but they certainly aren't greeting the customer.
You make your purchase at the counter in the combini, and you get an
"arigatou gozaimashita" like some kind of mantric chant, the phrase is
totally devoid of meaning. Meanwhile, at the tempura shop the owner thanks
each person genuinely, even if it's some kid who bought a piece of tempura
for 50 yen.

Plus it tastes awesome.

You could open a megacorp tempura mart next door to this guy's shop, and he
won't be in any trouble. He has differentiated his product, and it's
something no chain store can duplicate. But the surly old dude at some other
little shop who just sulks behind his counter and exhibits the worst of the
shokunin attitude is going to be looking for a new line of work.

# Okinawan tempura is quite different from Japanese tempura, it's probably
better to think of it as Okinawan fish and chips.

> There is no "good trade relations with China" possible. China is not a
> country, it's a world. A wild one. Tarrifs was not the good solution, on
> that I agree with you, but complete opening is much worse. That  can lead
to

I see nothing wrong with stipulating that imports must meet domestic
regulations, including in their production. However, this type of rule is
ripe for abuse, and has been abused in the past. Plus it's hard to enforce.

-- 
Regards,
Ryan Ginstrom