U.S. Trade With Japan

In response to “Unlevel Playing Field Debunked,” by Steven Moore, Commentary, April 10:

There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics. Moore says in one breath “Americans imported . . . $800 from Japan per capita.” Two paragraphs later he says “the typical American purchased $357 worth of Japanese products.” Which is true? Both. The first takes into account capital goods and non-consumer goods and services. The second, consumer goods only! He conveniently ignores total imports of American goods per capita by Japan, thereby disallowing the most important comparison: total imports per capita.

It is there that we will find what we already know to be the truth--no myth--the Japanese are eating our lunch (or, better put, our workers’ lunches). Also missing from the equation is what percentage of American goods purchased by Japanese are high-value (translate high wages) goods, as opposed to low-value (translate: few, low-paid workers) goods like agricultural products, scrap, unfinished lumber, etc. When you look at these statistics, you see a classic colonial relationship, with the United States being the economic colony of Japan.

Japan buys unfinished goods and bulk commodities and resells high-value, finished goods to the United States. This is very much the same as Britain’s relationship to India during Pax Britannia.

PETER HAAS

Canoga Park