Comment by Aromasin

Comment by Aromasin 10 months ago

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For those who aren't aware it's a 25% tarrif, so most manufacturers don't bother even trying to sell in the US. That's why almost all European/Japanese brand cars are 30+ years old over there.

I find it entertaining when my US colleague come visit and are amazed at all the options. I drive a new Toyota Hilux, and they weren't even aware they made them anymore. For a country that once prided itself on being the land of the free market capitalist, it's a shame the decision makers are so scared now of competition.

mschuster91 10 months ago

> For those who aren't aware it's a 25% tarrif, so most manufacturers don't bother even trying to sell in the US. That's why almost all European/Japanese brand cars are 30+ years old over there.

BMW has a 23.000-employee plant in South Carolina that produces X model SUVs for the entire world [1]. Volkswagen has an even larger presence [2]. No tariffs apply on these.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_in_the_United_States

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Group_of_America

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HFguy 10 months ago

"That's why almost all European/Japanese brand cars are 30+ years old over there"

This is just completely incorrect. Most of European and Japanese cars are not 30+ years old in the US.

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_thisdot 10 months ago

I find the inverse interesting too. US Brands trying to sell in foreign markets. India, for instance, has a lot of Asian and European brands. But the two American brands we did have, Chevrolet and Ford, had to leave India. They were decently popular back when they were here. And I still drive a Chevy Spark from 2012.

Ford is trying to make a comeback now though

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xattt 10 months ago

Back in the 2000s, VW released the Sirroco. I was graduating from uni, and it looked like the perfect car for me. I would have moved heaven and earth to own one. Alas, VW hemmed and hawed on homologation for North America and ultimately, it did not happen.

I do wish we had EU-level options here.

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  • HeyLaughingBoy 10 months ago

    ? You mean the Scirocco that's been around since the 70's?

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Scirocco

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    • xattt 10 months ago

      Apologies for the typo. I should have rephrased it as “re-released”.

      Third-gen didn’t make it to North America because it would have eaten away at the Golf/Rabbit market share.

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    • cbm-vic-20 10 months ago

      The US never got the 3rd gen models. There were plenty of 2nd gen models back in the day, but they're getting a bit old- I haven't seen one on the road for many years.

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ThunderSizzle 10 months ago

We haven't been the land of the free in a while, but we repeat it enough and then keep electing the uniparty in to keep it moving.

Itjumped significantly when the Federal Reserve was founded, backed by a national and originally-unconstitutional unapportioned direct income tax to feed it money. DC suddenly had a way to tax anyone and everyone without repercussions. Then FDR played with fascism and instituted many new agencies interested in managing the economy.

The welfare state LBJ started began the individual competing with free government money, and we've had nothing but an explosion of regulations tied to taxes or grants thanks to these categories and the hope of managing an economy to utopia.

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  • mschuster91 10 months ago

    > Then FDR played with fascism

    That's a gross misrepresentation of history. Politically, FDR can be most fittingly described as "European-style Social Democrat". He was not "playing with fascism", he literally was the President during the war against the literal fascists in Europe.

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    • bmelton 10 months ago

      Fascists can fight wars with other fascists, so that's not a counter to the argument.

      I think it's a debatable point, but if I were to steelman the argument, LBJ significantly expanded federal authority through his Great Society programs, concentrated control at the expense of federalism, massively expanded the surveillance state to target civil rights leaders and anti-war activists, and advanced an aggressive foreign policy through military action.

      Meanwhile, he was glad-handing Congress to exert stronger, central control over the government.

      I'd be hard pressed to call any one of those actions fascistic, but if you believe that any parts of modern America are, then those greased the wheels to them. Certainly seems enough to have justified the descriptor of 'flirting with' imo

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