From flattery to contempt: the unmaking of American
manufacturing greatness, Chinese style.
It is hardly a secret that the Chinese have, for years,
been counterfeiting American currency and just about anything they
believe would sell, period. In fact, any inventor who has ever had his/her
product manufactured in China would tell you that there is a better than good
chance that your product would likely debut in China [under a Chinese name, of
course] long before your production run ships. The Chinese illegally copy and
sell everything from computer software and hardware, designer goods, ranging
from clothing to handbags, and fragrances, to name just a few. The Chinese
have even copied an American Aircraft Carrier. I can't wait to see what they
intend to do for qualified sailors...then again, with cloning and DNA
technology, the drones are probably being tested as I write this.
Up until now, American automobiles and books by American and other
Western authors appeared to have been immune to this sort of theft. If the
Stolen Ford F150 is a barometer of things to come, Mark Levin's book,
Ameritopia might be next—let’s just pray they print this knock off in Chinese.
I found it odd though, that they targeted the Ford F150;
especially since Ford was the only of the big three American automobile
manufacturers to refuse to kneel at the government's "Stimulus Trough."
Why not bootleg the Chevy Volt? Or the Chrysler Town and Country?
While the Chinese manufacturing sector behaves highly unethically,
they are certainly not idiots. After all, they still have to sell these bootleg
autos to the Chinese consumer, so they had to choose one that actually worked.
Why target an overhyped Chevrolet battery operated car with a history of
bursting into flames? Or a Chrysler minivan, of which one owner recently
questioned why he bought it in the first place. This same owner did comment,
however, that Chrysler has been good about paying for a rental car while [he
waited] several days to get [the air conditioner on his three month old Town
and Country] fixed.
In spite of the obvious theft of Ford's intellectual property
and other associated violations, the American Press, and Ford, for
that matter have been uncharacteristically silent on this affront.
Ford and the US Authorities appear to have resigned themselves that as Chinese
consumers become increasingly sophisticated, they would—over time—come to
reject counterfeit merchandise.
You have to wonder why President Obama and his predecessors have
not taken the Chinese Government to task over this sort of behavior. While the damage
to the Automobile Industry could be quantified in terms of lost [potential]
sales to willing Chinese consumers, the long-term impact to the reputation of
the Ford Motor Company is limitless. Combine these detrimental effects with the
global impact on other American and global companies, and then we are talking
real damage.
Should the revenue generated by the Chinese counterfeiting
industry from China’s GDP, then the “Paper Dragon” shows its true weight; very,
very light.
