Joe Knollenberg is wrong once again.
Today, the Free Press reports that Joe Knollenberg "introduced legislation he says will push the Japanese government to end 'the manipulation and severe misalignment of its currency,' weakening the yen to the point where it essentially provides billions of dollars in export subsidies to Japanese automakers.
First, the Freep's writing here isn't very good. On the surface it looks like Knollenberg's legislation would result in "weakening the yen" further. That would be silly because that would just incease their effective subsidy of their automakers. Even Knollenberg couldn't do anything that stupid. (Well, maybe he could do something that stupid. He does report to lobbyists you know. They tell him what to do and he just blindly agrees.)
Even Knollenberg's Best Efforts Are Barely Even Meaningless Gestures
Just for the sake of argument, let's assume that Knollenberg is trying to reduce the effective subsidy by pressuring Japan to stop manipulating the value of the yen. What is going to do? Threaten to have George Bush invade them too? Or maybe he could sick Dick Cheney on them. That oughta scare them.
Just like Bush failed to understand the culture when he invaded Iraq, Joe Knollenberg has just let the world know that he doesn't understand either the auto industry or the Japanese economy.
Knollenberg Has Just Brought Himself More Bad PR
What is really amazing though are the comments from average voters about Knollenberg's "plan" (where by "plan", I mean empty and shallow Press Release rather than real legislation to help the auto industry).
They just slap him. And these were not comments that were planted by the "liberals". These are not even the normal posters who fight about the political issues. These are just people who found KNollenberg's idea so stupid, they took the time to comment on it!
Here are some of the comments:
- Yet another example of legislative disconnect. Why don't those two explain the US dollar devaluation of the last 30 years??? Through administrations of both parties to boot, so they're all to blame. When I went to Japan in 1975 I got 282 yen for a dollar, now what is it, around 100 or so??? They complain about other countries while we do the same, and we wonder why sometimes foreigners just shake their heads. This, like many other things in Congress lately, is pathetic. [DownriverDude]
- I'm sure Tokyo is, right now, shaking in utter despair at the thought of these wo numbskulls coming up with 'legislation' to stop the 'manipulation' of the Japanese iscal markets. And people wonder why Michigan is in the shape that it is? Get real! [bigsmoke]
- Bush is just hoping that the dollar can kind of hold where it is until he gets out of office. When the dollar reaches its true value, it will not be pretty. [umich07]
- I'm confused on this one. To me that would be the same as saying the United States has spent 7 1/2 trillion dollars over the past 30 years artificially holding the dollar low. Doesn't spending 1/2 trillion more than total annual revenue weaken the US dollar? [DexterRiley]
- Elected officials are on a propaganda campaingn? The USA deValues its currency by policy. Is that currency manipulation? The USA dollar has been deValued by over 53 % since Bush has been in office! ....Political posturing, and propaganda by elected that prefer to lie to the people will not change anything. US policy, and deficits; cause world speculators, and traders, to dump worth less dollars causing USA "inflation!" [Liberty Writer]
Funny thing about Joe Knollenberg. Knollenberg hasn't woken up and realized that the people are paying attention to him even if he isn't paying any attention to us.
By being a "Do Nothing" Knollenberger, he was able to avoid controversy and things were going relatively well for the first 8 years he was in office. Clinton was at the helm and we were at peace, our allies trusted us, and the economy was booming. So people didn't pay much attention to Slo' Joe.
But things are different now.
People are watching. The public is more interested in the next election than ever before. Even the most conservative of voters want to "throw the bums out." Inaction most of the time accompanied by a few hollow gestures won't sway them. Ba Ba Bye Joe.
Vote NO on JOE!
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