The decades long relationship between former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Donald Trump permeates through a recent announcement that Japan will be the first nation to enter the new era of trade negotiations with the United States.
Shinzo Abe was assassinated in July 2022, as he traveled throughout Japan gaining support for increased national military development. As businessmen and later politicians Donald Trump and Shinzo Abe (RIP) had a decades long friendship grounded in mutual respect and competition.
[SOURCE]
To understand the dynamic of President Trump giving the nation of Japan the position as the first nation to enter new trade negotiations, a high honor, is to understand the business relationship between the U.S and Japan in the post-World War II (40 yr) period between 1950 and 1990. The formative years for both Japanese industry and President Trump’s business empire.
Following World War II the United States agreed to help both Europe and Japan rebuild from the devastation of war. However, two entirely different industrial economic models were used.
For Europe the U.S. gave them money through the Marshall Plan, a process of one-way tariffs which helped them rebuild their nations. For Japan we gave them W Edwards Demming, an industrial engineer and extraordinarily brilliant mind in the processes of efficiency and industrial production.
In essence, to generate the reindustrialization of both economies, we gave the EU a fish (money), but we taught Japan how to fish; how to be create and build exceptional industry.
In the decades that followed, the EU rebuilt their capitalistic industrial base from the trade and tariff money we permitted them to exploit. The EU rebuilt from their historic systems, upgrading to newer industrial technology. Japan, however, learned deeper more technical skills from the Demming process of industrial capacity building, a critically strong excellence in quality manufacturing and attention to specific details in all processes.
It did not take long before the results of quality in design and Japanese manufacturing surfaced in the sector of automobiles, and later consumer electronics. The U.S. auto industry was slow to adapt to the Japanese quality focus and began losing market share to Toyota, Datsun, Nissan and Honda.
Throughout this period, President Trump and Shinzo Abe were on opposite sides of the industrial competition. Trump railing about Japan, and later aggregate Asia exploiting our generosity; Abe smiling and joking with his friend that despite Trump’s grievances, tomorrow Eric will be purchasing 1,500 Sony televisions for his next Hotel.
And so it went….
The friendship grew, the competition was intense but incredibly respectful, and both Shinzo Abe and Donald Trump became men of great influence whose partnership in competition was always visible.
Prime Minister Abe knew what President Trump was trying to achieve. In turn, President Trump knew Abe would remain a fierce Japan-first trade competitor to the America-first program. Tremendous respect and mutual admiration underpinned their geopolitical efforts.
No single picture better exemplified the nature of Trump and Abe as the G7 summit picture taken in Canada as the ripple effects of Trump’s first-term trade and tariff program against China (mostly) started to hit the global economy.
As China started to feel the pressure from President Trump forming new ASEAN partnerships, China started pulling back from ordering heavy industrial goods from Europe. The EU, specifically the German economy, felt the lessening of Chinese manufacturing via diminished orders. However, a respectful Japan positioned their trade agreements for benefit, but also for benefit of American workers.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe knew there was nothing to fear from President Trump’s global trade reset. Unless, that is, you were a nation taking unfair advantage of the generosity provided by America.
It makes total sense in the big picture for President Trump to honor the legacy of Shinzo Abe, and the respectful connections to Japan by granting them the first position in the schedule of the global trade reset.
Total sense.
This is excellent.
First Japan, then ASEAN, South Korea, Vietnam, the rest of SE Asia. Then India, pick off some European nations….Soon watch for Canada & Mexico to fold.
Isolate China, EU — Apply the economic Rules for Radicals to these Communist/Socialists nations and the others in the EU.
The world is returning to profitability through quality {increasing standards of living}
As opposed to profitability through quantity {decreasing standards of living}
Competition to produce the best {top}…
As opposed to competition to produce the most {bottom}…
We, The People, win.
In God We Trust
{All others pay cash}
Trust God
Fear not
Please remember that God gives US choice…
He has set before US an open door…
And no man can close it.
In God We Trust
{All others pay cash}
Trust God
Fear not
It is fascinating to watch the moves…
and the counter moves♟️♟️♟️♟️
around the world 🌍
They met in Seoul, March 22, 2025
Japan, China and South Korea discuss trilateral cooperation | AP News
Japan, South Korea and China vow to strengthen trade ties amid looming U.S. tariffs – The Japan Times
Amen! Quality over Quantity!
In alliance in trade, without entanglement!
Without being the world’s police. To the benefit of the world, and most importantly to the benefit of
Our Citizens as
Our Founders so eloquently wrote
in honor of God Almighty!
And lookie, lookie here..
Dow Futures UP 1100 points.
(Full disclosure: We’re not in it.)
So much for the attempt to get President Trump to backtrack.
Who’s your Daddy now, Panicons??
My daughter bought me a “Daddy’s Home” sweatshirt when President Trump won. It has a great photo of him in front of the WH. It’s my favorite!
I’d be wearing it every day! 😁
She should market them. I’d buy one.
VERB “Don’t be a’panikin’ dear”
NOUN panicon
Cool heads always prevail, sis.
What nation significantly helps to provide the national defense for Japan??
It certainly isn’t the EU!
None, it’s just us. Don’t forget, we forced a constitution on them after WWII that basically removed all offensive capabilities. It was necessary after what had happened in the 1920-1940s, but it means they are almost entirely reliant on us for protection.
Nobody trusts Japan and Japan doesn’t trust China. All these countries hate each other on a level that’s almost incomprehensible for a Western to wrap their head around; there is simply no corollary to it in our culture. Our presence over there keeps the region more or less stable.
Us Brits are not to keen on the Frogs….
From.my personal experience , I think “hate” is much, much too strong…especially now. Perhaps post-WWII but not currently. I have many Japanese friends and have stayed in at least a dozen Japanese homes throughout the country over the past several years and have never gotten even a hint of “hate.” In fact, we often go to both Chinese and Korean restaurants and that food is as popular as Mexican or Italian food is here. On one trip to Japan I traveled from the East coast with a young Korean woman who was on her way to Japan to marry a Japanese man….they met while working in NYC. It wasn’t necessarily a “match made in Heaven” for both sets of parents but perhaps not any more so than many of our own cultural ones.
Look for them to abolish Article 9 of their constitution in the not-too-distant. They just got done refitting the Kaga (2nd ship of their most recent 2-ship class of helo carriers) to handle F-35s (Yeah… – I know, I *Know*)…
I love the fact that this approach causes each nation to focus on itself as individual rather than as a cog in the wheel.
This is how you undo the wef’s tower of babel.
American businesses went to foreign countries to ply their trade for lower wages, no benefits, no unions, no taxes, AND sold back to US.
INTERNATIONAL trade /manufacturing fits the agenda for the NWO/communism; Trumps Tarriffs should get it back to ‘country’ of origin………. American businesses in America providing Americans needs…….imports should wain off, there ain’t nothing that can’t be made in the USA is there??
Just a thot, but seems to me that WEF, NWO, EU cartel, World Bankers and assoc.’s ( Rothschild, Illuminati, etc ) have their foundation in the western zones. Trump reset operations appearing to start incrementally from east to west? Looks to be a positive strategy. Wonder whats being said behind closed doors?
This is the way 🙂
I wish John Bolton could be removed from that photo.
But that look on his face; standing there with his mouth agape.
That moment when the war-mongering neocon realizes the rules have changed and he’s on the wrong side of the table.
Priceless.
Agreed! I like that he’s in the photo looking like a fish out water.
Exactly, dd_sc!
The Walrus looks so awkward – I agree that I wish he could be removed from that photo, Sarasotosfan – but then again, it actually adds a lot to the photo because you can see his discomfiture! “The Libyan Model” . . . what ding-a-ling.
So he ruined THAT, what was happening with President Trump and Chairman Kim . . . Chairman Kim grasped the portent immediately . . . he did not want to be Chairman Ghaddafi 2.0 and could you blame him?
The war pig pretending to be onboard with PDJT.
One of many backstabbers.
What they do?
They smile in your face
All the time, they want to take your place
The back stabbers (Back stabbers)
They smile in your face
All the time, they want to take your place
The back stabbers (Back stabbers)
🔪
Yep. The O”Jays knew their stuff. Next up, Love Train?
Think we are all on the Love Train…next stop will be?
I was just going to say “two faced” – yours is sooooo much better and then some! 🙂
LOVE it!! Could put some great lyrics to that song…memories from years gone by!
Remember the now famous poem about The Snake Trump used to recite? Might not be a bad time to hear it again….have a feeling it would make more sense to several this point!
https://www.irishpost.com/news/donald-trump-recites-controversial-poem-the-snake-during-rally-196725
I *LOOOVE* that song – never realised it was originally a poem… – Definitely very apt lyrics…
Sadly
No known compound
Nor editing software
Can get past the mustache
Remove from 🌎.
It appears bolton and macron are looking at each other …….. macron with wrinkled brow, bolton mouth breathing.
Bolton having severe palpitations, p’raps?
Since he’s ungraciously removed himself from Trump in earnest, he shouldn’t mind being photo shopped out, and frankly, we don’t need to ask him.
Replace him with Scott Bessent, Howard Lutnick, or Marco Rubio.
Better yet – Tom Homan!
He only adds to the photo in that years and years to come everyone will look at it and say, “Who is that?” and no one will know the answer. He has already been erased from history. No one is having him on their shows to talk about “Tariffs!!!!”
He probably sits by his phone waiting for someone to call him and make him relevant.
Yep. Agreed. Not the least bit surprising. Japan is a more fitting cultural and practical ally than 🇬🇧 and EU
Bibi was “first”.
That was a “given.”
Yes, and does not detract from the author’s point.
btw, the Bald Eagle was just recognized as our National Bird, Bird!
Netanyahu Announces Israel Will Eliminate Trade Deficit with U.S.
Psalm 122
5 There are set thrones of judgment,
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you!
7 Peace be within your walls
and security within your towers!”
8 For my brothers and companions’ sake,
I will now say, “Peace be within you.”
9 Because of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your good.
Amen!
Rest in the Vine: “Overcoming the “Philistine” Spirit of the Left” by Mike Thompson
and “The Lion and the Eagle Prophecy” by Robin D. Bullock
I was thinking it’s also a big thumb in the eye of Winnie the Pooh bear aka China. I’m sure that will get under the thin skin of Xi.
Xi’s days are numbered.
“Xis days are numbered”
Reminiscent of earlier OMG predictions that “the walls are closing in” on Orange Man Bad, PDJT
or pronouncements that Vlad Man Bad, Putin, would soon die from cancer?
As trollishly savage and psywar savvy /pol/ might say, Xi’s only got “two more weeks”?
Winnie The Pooh, Winnie The Pooh
Chubby little commie just huffs and puffs
He’s Winnie The Pooh, Winnie The Pooh
Willy, nilly, silly old bear
Ohh, bother!
I Pray we are able to get to the bottom of the Fraud that installed “The Incredible Husk” in 2020.
Then I really Hope we can come up with a workable Constitutional solution to give We The People the possibility for a Righteously Deserved 4 more years of President Trump’s leadership so these artfully negotiated deals do not evaporate at the Death Cult/GloboCorp.’s earliest convenience.
I’ve always wanted to visit Japan. I am pleased to think that might be a viable destination for some excellent snowboarding now that so many other bucket list places won’t see a dollar from me.
Like the COVID/VAXX Attack, that Fraudulent Coup was a pre-meditated Co-Production of the Deep State UNIPARTY and their CHINA, INC. Partners.
“Gee, Xi, maybe you have thought about it at the time.”
I should have thought about should!
The Incredible Husk! HaHaHa!……I’m stealing that one.
I’m very blessed to have been able to travel extensively while I was in the USAF.
We lived in England for 6yrs and loved it. Saw Paris, Germany, Italy. Places I wouldn’t go today, with the exception of Italy.
I pray you get to see Japan soon!
What a great article. It’s wonderful the two leaders shared such a strong friendship and enormous respect for one another. President Trump is a remarkable man.
Shinzo was a huge fan of American pop culture.
I believe he genuinely loved Trump the man. They were buddies. What a shame.
I loved that scene when they were feeding the fish and the press wanted to make a big deal of that . . . you can see what a lovely man Abe was . . . he was a very special person. I also loved seeing his wife and Melania . . . his wife is a sweet, sweet land and how she must ache for missing him.
Japan used to make lots of knick knacks before blowing the doors off the consumer electronics business with new-fangled “transistor radios” in the early 1960s. What Japan and the US are doing is next level. That I can tell you. Take your winnamins America!
Yes. And my Toyota has been super-reliable. There is a reason why most everyone wants Japanese cars. They are excellent
’05 Corrolla and ’07 Camry here!
All Toyotas are very good in this department but the “mid oughts” represents a peak of reliability.
’83-’87 AE86 Corrolla/Trueno *Still* one of the best for drift racing.
Damn straight, Wondering!… – And here’s why:…
“Muri, Mura, Muda”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Production_System
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Toyota_Way
I concur Wondering. Over my lifetime I have had six Toyota Tacoma trucks in a row, all but one being four wheel drive. Never a problem with any one of them. Also had Mazda pickup truck, two Subaru and lastly my 1990 Mazda Miata. I loved that Miata. What a pleasure to drive and probably the most fun vehicle I ever owned. Given that my first new car was a 1969 Jaguar XKE coupe, that is remarkable.
“That I can tell you”…lol!
I use that phrase a lot, too!
It’s such a pleasure to have a President like Trump, repeating his special phrases gives me an internal chuckle as I converse with others!
President Trump doesn’t forget his friends.
Demming’s book Out of the Crisis should be read by every manager.
As I recall, General MacArthur brought Demming to Japan or at least, authorized his arrival.
Rebuilding Japan With the Help of 2 Americans
By MARK MAGNIER
Oct. 25, 1999
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-oct-25-ss-26184-story.html
behind paywall
My favorite photo of that time period. It really does encapsulate the mindset of every country represented by the wolves attempting to be menacing from their side of the table. Juxtaposed with the firm resolve of the lone ally to President Trump in that whole group.
President Trump does not fear wolves. He is also acutely aware of the importance of Honor.
Good deal, Mr. President. 👍❤️
President Trump is energized by the attacks! Wonderful trait!
The great man does like a challenge. He handles them brilliantly. This is the difference between having a lifetime politician versus a successful billionaire businessman as our country’s leader.
You just know ‘Mutti’ used to strike that pose all the time whilst interrogating East German dissidents for the Stasi, back in the day, running the whole “Sign ze papers” routine…
Great tribute to a great friendship.
loyalty
and
respect
-reciprocity
PDJT knows exactly what he’s doing. The only way to climb out of the fiscal hole that CONgress has dug is to deliver a death blow to the current system. There’s no better partner in that effort than Abe’s Japan.
We’ll see if the republican’ts in CONgress can untwist their soggy panties before they betray us outright on behalf of their chamber of greed oligarch pimps.
Very strategic.
China has an aggressive expansionist policy in that region of the world. China has threatened Japan and the Philippines along with other nations. China has been building islands and turning them into military bases. Claiming seas, atolls, islands as ancestral chineses belongings.
The USA has a coalition of nations in that zone that are allies and they are on the front line of holding China in check. They would rather be on the good side of the USA then under the boot and bayonet of the Chinese commies, especially Japan because of the history they have with China.
There is that floating giant island of trash that is a conglomeration of manufacturing debris, plastic trash, not sure what all is in it . . .
how about this scenario, the people of China someday exile X when they finally overthrow the CCP and send him to live on his “St. Helena” . . . but anchor it down somewhere! He can live like a penguin!
💁♀️ 🤷♀️ 💁♀️ A lot going on.
They met in Seoul.
Japan, China and South Korea discuss trilateral cooperation | AP News
March 25,2025
Japan, South Korea and China vow to strengthen trade ties amid looming U.S. tariffs – The Japan Times
March 30, 2025
Japan has been kicking China’s azz for centuries.
Terrific quick synopsis of the difference between Japan and Europe, post-war.
The influence of Demming cannot be overstated.
The concepts Demming demonstrated to the Japanese had a profound effect on their entire economy.
As CTH mentions, it was especially apparent in autos and electronics.
Japan 🇯🇵 has lots of very smart people. They observe and understand – and act.
An economic powerhouse that will act in its own self-interest… which means negotiation and cooperation, compromise and contracts…
Rather than confrontation and retaliation, and conflict.
The President is living his best life! And we, the citizens of this nation, are better for it.
Wonderful news and fantastic article & insight.
Thank you, Sundance!
President Trump is loyal and fair.
Like-minded respond in kind. ⚖️
Brilliant! This piece and our President.
First it’s Bondi and now Patel:
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/04/kash_patel_promotes_an_fbi_agent_who_called_j6_patriots_and_moms_at_school_board_meetings_terrorists.html
Patel is one of Bannon’s favorites. Bannon wanted Trump to dump Musk. Stop listening to Bannon.
We all want Patel and Dan Bongino to clean up the FBI – make it worse. Pray for Patel and our country.
I suggest you check out Julie Kelly’s substack or X, as she wrote about this last weekend.
It was someone else (Hill) who claims that Jensen said that.
I don’t know how to link Julie Kelly’s substack, but she’s easy to find. She is doing great work for us, reporting on factual (with evidence) matters.
Bannon was annoyed with MUSK because of his push for HB1 VISAs.
MUSK is great with DOGE, but MUSK is NOT great about VISAs.
Over the years, as a consumer of various products — tools of my trade, household appliances, clothing, vehicles, sporting equipment, electronics, building materials, related customer service capabilities, you name it — I have personally witnessed and experienced the QUALITY of such products to decline. Drastically. Horribly. Blood pressure inducing.
Shit just doesn’t work as well as before. The products don’t last as long as before. They’re built cheaply, they’re lighter weight, they break down quickly, they’re impossible to repair, they’re made with shitty, time-saving processes, they contain more built-in “glitches,” and if you try to get help from customer service, all you get is some automated, phone-answering hell-hole of call directing, with ultimately a foreign “representative” who can barely speak English, is uninformed, is incompetent, and has no sense of what is required to make the customer happy.
If nothing else comes out of the current “trade wars” between America and the rest of the world, I just hope and pray that products are made better and last longer.
I could care less about prices of this or that. I want QUALITY stuff that is worth what I pay for it. And I want ENGLISH-speaking representatives on the other end of the phone. The foreigners can all go back home. Please.
There are few, if any, consumer products that don’t have a range of quality, i.e., price points. Not everyone can afford a Rolex but most can afford a Timex. I learned long ago that ‘you get what you pay for’. There’s nothing wrong with that, people should have choices. When companies don’t provide decent customer support, don’t buy their products. Life is full of decisions.
I know of two specific incidents, where there were two companies, one producing a quality product (company A) and the other producing a same product, but crap.
Because company B product was priced mych lower, it sold many more, and so evevtually BOUGHT company A.
And promptly lowered the quality of the product produced by company A.
I’ve noticed that too. The other nasty thing some companies do is they buy out the company that is their competition that has better quality and then they proceed to liquidate said company. (Like when Loews bought out Orchard Supply and then destroyed them.)
A plumber told me that it doesn’t matter how expensive the item is, it’s still crap in comparison to decades ago.
I believe him.
I asked him about it, cuz I was hoping that perhaps “more money” meant “better quality”.
First apt. back in the early 70’s had a 1920’s electric stove in it. It was tiny as heck, but absolutely *beautiful*, spotless and worked like a charm. A 50 YO stove.
Ditto on the early 1900’s (late 1800’s?) toilet in another apt. I lived in in the 80’s. The tank was mounted up near the ceiling, and you pulled a long chain to flush it. Worked like a charm.
Fridge from the early 70’s, in the mid-2000’s. Perfect. And probably still going strong today.
If the US can build quality stuff again, I don’t care how much it costs. At least *some* people won’t be throwing this stuff out every few years. >>>> And you can find the well-made appliances at 2nd hand stores if you can’t afford them new.
Yesterday, I heard statements from Glen Beck and Bill O’Reilly (cue the boo’s) to the effect “Trump’s doing too much at once;
he’s going to crash the world’s economies!! I would not have done it this way.”
They do not understand that President Trump’s strategy in this situation is divide and conquer. Hit them all at once. Each nation will react to protect its own interest and they will all approach negotiations with USA separately. The EU is a bloc, but within EU each nation also has its own interests. I believe these tariffs will cause some members of EU to be repelled from the general EU policies and from other EU states.
“I would not have done it this way”…..is why we didn’t elect them.
There are already major fractures in the EU, firstly aggravated by the attempts to force countries to accept illegals, and then this recent election in Romania, where it was the EU that declared the election illigitimate.
I agree the EU is ripe for breaking, and I have heard other talking heads with the same wrong headed criticism,
“Let Trump be Trump!”
O’Reilly is an idiot – but thinks he knows everything.
“– but thinks he knows everything.”
The most dangerous kind
Good to hear the great friendship between past Japan leader and Trump. Sounds like it will continue to grow with new Japan leader.
NOW, about the crappy, low down dirty MSM causing nationwide demostrations …. More RIGHT leaning MEDIA needs to step up to the plate and give the AMERICAN MAGA (more than 1/2 the country)… media that is TRUTHFUL and not full of lies and stir up trouble.
American MEDIA is anti-american media! I would LOVE for Sundance to be part of a Media network with Video/Audio to blast into America and the World. Many of us LOVE Sundance and what he is doing, we want more of the Country to hear this patriotic message and uplifting messages.
Maybe if you agree with me, you can give this post many thumbs up, not for me … but to shout out to Sundance/team to take the NEXT STEP … (but we understand if the time is NOT now. (It’s like Jesus said to his MOTHER who told him to step up to the plate, he said “MOTHER the time is not right, yet … and turned water into wine for marriage event).
This is SUNDANCE’S training for the NEXT STEP. 🙂
Cattle ranchers back Trump tariffs…
Keep them doggies movin’…
Japan is also essential from a military perspective. Abe might have campaigned originally on kicking the Marines out of Okinawa (which they deserved based on their behavior) but Japan understands full well we’re the only thing keeping China in check. The rest of the region sees us as a check on Japanese military culture. The rest of the western Pacific has never forgiven Japan for the decades leading up to WWII (nor should they IMO).
We’re the only honest player in East Asia. Stability in the region, including the critical shipping lanes that run through the Straits of Malacca, depend on our bases in Japan. It’s a critical ally that we can’t afford to lose, especially not with tensions so high with China.
In other words, giving Japan the first seat at the table is a strategic move against China.
I found this interesting.
Guessing our propaganda news didn’t
report anything about it…😖🙄😉
Meeting was in Seoul. March 25, 2025
🤷♀️ 💁♀️
Japan, South Korea and China vow to strengthen trade ties amid looming U.S. tariffs – The Japan Times
Japan, China and South Korea discuss trilateral cooperation | AP News
Nothing will become of that.
Pieces on the geopolitical chessboard ♟️♟️♟️
Moves and counter moves.
I find it more interesting when I have more
chess pieces and can see who the players are.
Just that those three got together is worth
noting.🗒️😳
What came/comes out of that meeting -we
have yet to see. To just dismiss, and not to
take into consideration…..nope. To what
degree, if any, it will have on US negotiations-
we don’t know. But it is something else to
watch/consider.
Fascinating to watch.
I am all for🇺🇸🇺🇸Made in America 🇺🇸🇺🇸
Bessent: China doesn’t have the cards…
I think China has Aces and Eights.
The E.U. has a pair of deuces.
And POTUS has a Royal Flush.
Thatconcurs with my accessment.
The thing is, just as President Trump has no choice but to do what he is doing, China and the current EU leadership have no choice but to resist.
China is an export economy, dependant on the U S to buy, they can not replace the American consumer market.
And, the EU is dependant in those trade deficits to fund their operations, as well.
Irresitable force meets immovable object.
Probably black aces and eights a.k.a. the “dead man’s hand”.
Anyone else feel like its “Déjà vu all over again”? I feel like we are at the end of 2019 or early 2020 when many of these trade deals were being negotiated and almost implemented. What happened..COVID stopped everything in its tracks. We should keep an eye out for some global event that will keep the global status quo.
Japanese-made cars vs US made cars.
Why wouldnt a Japanese family buy a made-in-US car
(unless they are into muscle cars / V8’s OR you are considering that it’s less practical to own a car in Japan than in the US)
Nobody in the Whitehouse press corp seems to be asking that question either.
Not suprised on this “journalism” separate fact — any last semblence of critical thinking in the press seems to be rooted out with covid.
Answer: Of all things “tariffs” or “the Japanese people are so mean/unfair to the US” are probably not in the top 3 here.
Hint: culture of manufactoring excellence, Kaizen… and if you don’t believe in these “soft principles”, look at car reliability numbers.
If you are a Japanese family and you had money to buy a car wouldnt you buy the best, most practical and economical car that lasts a long time? This is not a definition of “US made cars” (today at least)
but it does fit Japan manufactured cars generally.
The problem with blanket-tariffs is that it assumes the US can blanket do EVERYTHING equal or better than the whole world. In case of US made cars vs Japan cars this is an area of contrast: The US does not build better cars than Japan, and if they are going to do it it will take a manufacturing culture change. OR a couple of those Japan made car manufacturing robots 😉
But then there would be no increase in US jobs upside on that.
Yeah Bob
Now if Japan can make their cars in the USA and “teach our workers” what Japan has learned about excellence …. that would HELP american workers. Win/Win
The US taught Japan The American System of Manufacture and Demming TQM. Sadly nearly forgotten in practice here.
Japanese are not allowed to buy durable cars. They are taxed out of their cars at 3 year intervals. Japanese taxes go UP every year of ownership of a car until it is cheaper to buy new than pay for taxes on the old. The payments are quickly cheaper than the escalating taxes. The old cars go to the Russian used market and rust out in east Siberia.
Not to mention SPACE! they have a mere inch of parking space to park their cars literally everywhere, especially at their homes. Many rent outdoor spaces a few blocks away from their houses because there is no room for cars.
I do love history told in such a manner Sundance, thank you. A high honor indeed and one that the Japanese will cherish as should we.
That picture that was taken at the G7 in Canada during PDJT first administration is so iconic and transformative. It wasn’t even staged. It was Trump being Trump and negotiating on behalf of the USA. If this picture was with Hussein Obozo instead of Trump then the Left Wing propagandist media would have said that look there is black Jesus the Messiah, Nobel Peace Prize Winner etc…SMH
I remember that picture but did not notice Abe.
Japan, South Korea……
Interesting🤔
It is always interesting to watch the moves-
and also the counter moves.
🤷♀️ 💁♀️
March 25, 2025
The meeting was in Seoul.
Fascinating to watch the geopolitical chessboard…….
Me- bring our manufacturing back where it belongs—
in the USA 🇺🇸🇺🇸 Made in America.
Japan, China and South Korea discuss trilateral cooperation | AP News
Japan, South Korea and China vow to strengthen trade ties amid looming U.S. tariffs – The Japan Times
We have all seen the propaganda drumbeat everywhere in the national news media that the Trump tariffs spell disaster for America’s economy.
I am now seeing this drumbeat being repeated in our local news media — in local television news shows, in local newspapers, and in local business journals — all of them focusing on what are allegedly severe impacts on our local and regional economy.
The news media everywhere is consciously trying to foment a national financial panic in the hopes of bringing down President Trump in particular, and the MAGA movement in general.
Imho
‘they’ ( media propaganda )
simultaneously
want to quietly pretend
that ever increasing miss spending and $36 trillion in debts – and growing- has no eventual bad consequences.
American households know that turning a blind eye to debts has a real consequences.
p.s.
the fake media has pushed propaganda and / or overlooked facts before ( a long list over decades… Russia collusion, c-virus.. holocaust….)
Many people have caught on to the games people play, the wooden nickels ‘they’ offer…
there is plenty of room for others to seek the truths…
Prove all things.
Hold fast to that which is good.
– Corinthians 5:21
Imho
“If it bleeds then it leads”. News media needs hysteria in order to get people to watch primarily when it is about the Bad Orange Man.
So we have a Japanese ruling American baseball and a Russian ruling N American hockey, and the Brazilians and Muslims ruling MMA… all these sports originated in the USA
Thank you Sundance for the history of Trump and Abe, I didn’t know how special it was and now I feel sad all over again that Japan lost a great leader and Trump lost a trusted friend /adversariy.
@SecScottBessent: “I think you’re going to see a couple of big trading partners do deals very quickly.”
Video linked…
Rapid Response 47
@RapidResponse47
Council of Economic Advisors Chairman
@SteveMiran:
“There are three legs to the stool: One is trade re-negotiation. The other two are de-regulation and tax reform and those are still in the pipeline… When you look ahead to the future, there’s going to be an America that is the best place in the world to do business.”
Video linked…
Auto tariffs are steering jobs back to the US
https://archive.is/S35cG
Trump Posts on 𝕏
@trump_repost
“The opportunity is to rebuild the global trading system in a way that works for the United States, which we didn’t have.”
Video linked…
It needs to be pointed out, that President Trump has a similar relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi of India … as well as other leaders from the other “smaller” Asian Economic power houses, Vietnam and Indonesia.
This is also the reason the US needs to continue suppressing the Terrorists in Yemen … to safeguard Indian Ocean and Red Sea Routes to Africa and Asia … for our potential “new era” Asian trading partners.
Unlike the “traditional world order” politically and militarily based diplomatic relationships, President Trump is establishing a “business like personal” model that hopefully the YOUNG GANG of future leaders President Trump has brought into his Administration notice and emulate.
Oddly enough that “personal” approach has created a bond that will come to the fore once the board of directors of China Inc. decides to allow President XI to negotiate.
Only 4% max of our shipping goes through
that area.
It is Europe that is the hardest hit. 😀
And as the Houthi statement to the World—
As long as their Palestinian brothers and sisters
are being genocided and ethnically cleansed,
they will stop shipments going to-Israel.
And when the ceasefire was in effect, Naval
traffic resumed. When Israel stopped humanitarian
aid and broke ceasefire, the Naval traffic was halted
again.
The Houthi…also known as the flip flop warriors are
viewed by many around the world-as heroes.
Standing up for right vs wrong.
People tend to stand up for victims, and those underdogs
who fight against evil 👹👺
We are once against being the lapdogs of EU and Israel🤷♀️💁♀️
This article was written 2023. Investopedia 🤷♀️💁♀️
How Attacks on Shipping in the Red Sea Could Affect the U.S. Economy
Neither reproduced enough offspring tho. Today, EU imports labor and Japan uses robotics.
Reducing our trade deficit also makes reducing our federal deficit even more important. Right now, many of the new dollars used to cover the federal deficit get ‘exported’ to the rest of the world, helping to keep our domestic inflation lower than it would be otherwise.
These exported dollars pay the interest due on the Euro dollar system, which are dollar debts created outside the US by foreign banks and are the primary global currency system.
This is the heart of the exorbitant privilege that has hollowed out our industrial base, devastated the lower 50%, and provided inflows of dollars to create asset bubbles while corrupting our political/economic system, concentrating most of the nation’s wealth in the top 1%.
While true free trade is a good goal, it’s key to understand that all nations will still want to retain a certain level of protection for strategic and national security industries and capabilities. Food, energy, and industrial capacity for self-defense come to mind.
For example, the US steel industry or rice production in Japan. Even if other nations are more efficient in a ‘true’ free trade environment, a certain amount of set aside local capacity is understandable. Canada has something very similar with their dairy products. If memory serves it has low tariffs up to a limited amount, say 20% of local demand. After that it becomes extremely high. Thus they ‘protect’ a 80% local production capacity. The level of strategic protection will be part of the negotiations when it comes to zero tariffs.
Having a representative form of government is also very important. In fact, one could make the case that this is step one for any type of open trading relationship. Having an open capital account is another thus preventing currency manipulation.
This is the strategic error with regards to China. Trade should have only expanded China as a reward for progressive migration from Tyranny to Representative democracy. Ironically, Europe is falling into Tyranny as well, and the US only just narrowly avoided it and could still succumb to it if 2026 has a sufficient level of voter and election fraud.
Another example is the overthrowing of the Representative government of South Korea by the CCP, which now controls it via their Marxist useful idiots.
Japan is a great country. So glad we are so close to the Japanese.
Make American Quality Great Again. A regular, sturdy car with no cameras, bells or whistles (only a horn) to get us from point A to point B, quickly. With engine components easy to get at and repair ourselves.
We’re on the other side of the page now and fighting from Victory.
Still, it’s worth recalling president footnote’s* groveling before the Emperor. He meant to demean America, but only insulted the Japanese and demeaned himself.
(*not to be confused with BidenPuppet, a footnote to a footnote, who put the as in asterisk.)
And just in time for the release of the Nintendo Switch 2.
President Trump understands what’s important to the average US citizen.
I did not fully comprehend that classic photo with Trump, Abe and Merkel until just now.
Abe is as equally bemused as Trump at Merkel’s theatrics.
RIP PM Abe
Friend, ally, honored competitor.
He was murdered because of his friendship with Trump. And it was IC driven, too. Disgusting, vile, godless bastards. (spit)
Actually, President Trump already met with Bibi, and in their public presser after, Bibi set the correct tone and path thatcall should follow; first off, respectful and not demanding or threatening, and secondly declaring that Israel would, AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, erase the TRADE DEFICIT between our two countries .
He didn’t say “TARIFFS” , he said “TRADE DEFICITS” and thats really the key, as President Trump is rightly taking the trade deficit as an accurate measure of the cumulative effect of ALL Trade barriers, combined.
Bibi “gets it” and was repeating it fir the cameras.
I think all countries leaders will “get it”, even as the media insists on refusing to, and those countries that respond hostilly, are those whose governments are utterrly dependent on the trade deficit to stay in office..i.e. the EU and CHINA need that trade deficit $, to keep thier systems afloat.
President Trump is using this trade reset, to stir up the pot, and trigger political change in the EU, and China.
And, just as Reagan did with Russia, this will bring about a major change, or changes that many fear, as the end result is uncertain.
Hopefully, we will have people in positions of power that can navigate the aftermath, with greater intelligence than what we had after the Wall came down.