Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!scooter!netsys!vector!nobody From: hsc@mtund.ATT.COM (Harvey Cohen) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: AT&T alleges dumping Message-ID: Date: 11 Jan 89 20:30:40 GMT Sender: chip@vector.UUCP Lines: 30 Approved: telecom-request@vector.uucp X-Submissions-To: telecom@bu-cs.bu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.uucp X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 11, message 5 In article bovine!john@apple.com (John Higdon) writes: >X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.uucp >X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 9, message 2 >Mr. Kurtiak: >I was somewhat surprised by your instant reply to my posting. Unfortunately >I feel that your response was typical of the knee-jerk attitude that >pervades the US manufacturing community. Translation: "The US manufacturing community has no right to complain about unfair trade practices, because the US manufacturing community is not virtuous." >Having owned an equipment vending company for over five years (no longer; >the market's too hoary) I can speak with some authority concerning the >wares. Most US makers have been well behind the times in their technology. [Several examples deleted] Translation: "US makers have no right to complain if foreign companies sell below cost in US markets, because US products are inferior." >"Dumping" is a convenient smoke screen that may be true to a small degree, >but it has been proven over and over again that the American people will >pay MORE for what they really want. Japanese cars cost more than their >American counterparts and yet they still enjoy brisk sales. The same >applies to telephone equipment. Translation: "Since people pay more for Japanese cars, it follows that they would pay more for Japanese telephone systems. Therefore, foreign suppliers should be allowed to sell below cost in US markets." [Lots more about how US products are priced too high and have inferior workmanship.] Higdon's logic is so grossly, mind-bogglingly out of joint that it is impossible to construct a reasoned rebuttal. -- Harvey S. Cohen, AT&T Bell Labs, Lincroft, NJ, mtund!hsc, (201)576-3302