Cuba and Toyota

AgWeb Blogs
March 10, 2010
John Block

Today, I have 2 issues that I want to talk about. And they are
Cuba and Toyota. What do they have to do with American agriculture? I
will explain.

 
Issue number 1 – Cuba – this week, the House
Agriculture Committee heard testimony on establishing normal trade
relations with Cuba. Thanks to Ag Committee Chairman Collin Peterson
and Representative Jerry Moran of Kansas, the bill has more than 30
sponsors from both parties. The bill provides for normal trade and
travel to Cuba.
 
For 50 years, we have tried to isolate Cuba while every other
country in the world has traded and traveled freely to that country.
What did we accomplish by trying to bully Cuba over 5 decades? Nothing.
Maybe it is time to try something else. Cuba is no threat to us. Maybe
building a commercial relationship and people exchange can help to
change Cuba. It worked with China, Vietnam, Russia, etc. Did you know
that we do not restrict our citizens from travel to any country in the
world except Cuba? Do you want to go to Afghanistan, Vietnam, Iran,
Syria? Go! But don’t ask to go to Cuba.
 
Issue number 2 – Toyota – here is the background.
How many years ago was it? Nine years. We found a mad cow. Beef trade
with Japan was stopped. Never mind that they found 9 mad cows of their
own in Japan. They still stopped buying our beef. Now, after all of
this time, we have recovered only one-third of the market that we once
had. Now here’s the deal. 52 people have died driving “runaway” Toyota
cars. How many people died eating our beef? This is the question
brought up by former Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns before the
Senate Commerce Committee. He was frustrated as Secretary of
Agriculture because he couldn’t pry open the door to the Japanese
market. Their excuse was a phony fear of mad cow disease. So, should we
stop buying their cars now since they stopped buying our beef? “What’s
good for the goose is good for the gander.” I don’t support that
retaliation, but we do have a beef with Japan.
 
In closing, I would encourage you to access my website which
archives my radio commentaries dating back 10 years and will go back 20
years when complete. Check on what I said back then. Go to
www.johnblockreports.com.