In a message dated 95-12-19 11:04:17 EST, K8DO@AOL.COM writes:
>So prop QST up against your radio from the land of ten thousand knobs, and
>read Dr. Davis' letter... And when you are done I want you to write to me
and
>explain how you think the next generation of american transceivers are
>supposed to get designed, engineered and manufactured..
For starters, I think we can agree that it won't happen as a consequence of
charity. If people want to buy from one particular manufacturer just
because that manufacturer is domestic, then I would call that charity.
There's nothing wrong with it...but you could do just as much to help an
American company making noncompetitive products by donating to it as you can
by going through the ruse of making a consumer purchase. Just as the
American auto companies have learned so painfully over the last couple of
decades, the only long-term solution to foreign competition is learning how
to make competitive products. Neither an appeal to the politicians for
economic protectionism nor an appeal to the public for nationalism will serve
as a substitute.
The answer to your question, then, has to be how we as a nation can enable
American companies to become more competitive in a global economy. It's no
different an issue for amateur radio equipment than it is for semiconductors,
VCRs, PCs, televisions, or autos. This is the drama that is being played out
in Washington this very day. Cut through all the demagoguery that is being
used to appeal to the public's sentimentality and you will find this is a
real argument about the role of government in our economy. I think that next
generation of great contest radios will be designed, engineered, and
manufactured in the U.S. if and only if--
--American companies have ready access to capital at competitive interest
rates;
--investors see the economic advantage of long-term participation in those
companies;
--employers are provided legal protection against abusive shareholder
lawsuits and against the absurd product liability claims that courts have
been upholding;
--American companies are given regulatory relief from the oppressive burden
that today claims such a large share of their energy;
and so on.
Really want to help, Denny? When was the last time you hugged YOUR
Republican congressman?
(-: AA6KX
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