The Japanese's denial made this uproar explode.
The American public held no good feelings for the Japan today. They had stolen America's technology, then turned around and used that technology to defeat American companies.
Well, even though it sounded ridiculous, Americans were adamant about this belief.
Now, things got serious as they began to aid the enemy; it was clear this guy had a change of heart and intended to switch sides.
Consequently, the wave of boycotting the Japanese products swept straight into Washington.
The first to suffer was Toshiba; smashing a four-speaker tape recorder was one thing, but doing it in front of the White House was no small matter.
"Sir, are our products going to be okay?" Seeing the anxious look on Tom's face, William White felt a real headache. He couldn't say it wouldn't have any impact; after all, Japanese products were bound to be affected during this time.
"Not much of a problem; it's just a performance by those politicians. Our stuff isn't made by Toshiba."
"These bastards, how can they do this?"
William White just smiled and kept quiet.
When boycotting Japan became a slogan, the scene at home was predicable.
Americans had peculiar ways of boycotting Japanese goods. The lower classes paid no attention, buying whatever they needed. Even those in the middle class wouldn't give up their Japanese cars.
The most extreme seemed to be the politicians. Upon seeing this situation, William White stopped paying attention. Whether it was made in Japan didn't matter; he decided to write directly about the brand being American.
Hearing his boss's bad idea made Tom roll his eyes. The issues troubling him were resolved by the boss in a few words. What he needed to promote was that the brand was American.
As for where it was produced? Just downplay that; there weren't any specific requirements. No one expected me to put a flag on it.
This boycott was actually ludicrous; over 70% of semiconductor components were produced in Japan. What exactly were they boycotting?
What was happening now clearly came from the suffering parties. Behind it were either car manufacturers or appliance makers. This kind of forced confrontation was utterly useless. No one would buy regardless.
Instead, those politicians were thriving, holding factory sponsorships and screaming hysterically about taking on Japan.
And then...
They actually got elected.
As a result, it became a trend.
...
"Sir, how will this year's dividends be arranged? If we keep the high dividends, our funds will get a little tight."
"At this point, we actually need to stick to tradition. The rebound of the stock market is a foregone conclusion; if funds are truly tight, we can increase loans. Besides, when do they plan to lower interest rates?"
"Still in discussions, but Greenspan will give in; he's got no clout like Paul Volcker."
"Hahaha, that old man's handling of inflation might just rear its ugly head again. Sigh, the dollar will continue to devalue. Not borrowing more money now would be a crime." William White laughed heartily; this hard life was finally coming to an end.
"Devaluation is inevitable; our Treasury Secretary isn't really saying much these days, only shouting a bit during the boycotting of Japanese goods."
"That guy's luck, huh? Who would have thought a simple threat could lead to this. Trillions in market value evaporated; I think he should learn from the Japanese guys about offering up his belly voluntarily -- of course, preferably in a hospital."
Filson had long been numb to his boss's sharp tongue. As long as the boss wasn't worried about upcoming profits, they would continue with dividends.
William White naturally wouldn't worry. After this storm, the final barriers would fall, and Japan would become defenseless. If you wanted something, just go take it.
...
The American boycott was weak; it appeared lively, everyone hated Japanese products.
Well, telling someone who couldn't even tell the difference between a Toyota and a Honda to boycott was just laughable.
This world was always like this; top-down slogans never effectively materialized. Put plainly, these had clear political purposes, boosting their votes and gaining more donations internally while pressuring Japan externally.
In short, Toshiba was clearly a good kid. It provided a target for venting anger. As for its two accomplices, well, that was hard to connect with -- a trading company and a consortium, who knew how to boycott that.
A $15 billion fine.
When a congressman submitted this bill, William White was shocked.
Wow, in this day and age, $15 billion was far scarier than $50 billion in 2000. These three companies were finished; they could close shop right away.
Strangely, such an absurd fine wasn't the end of it. Toshiba's products were required to have a 100% tariff increase, and American factories would be seized. Previously sold goods were required to provide free after-service.
With a myriad of terms piled on, William White couldn't help but wonder -- under these conditions, wouldn't it be better for them to just go bankrupt? Why bother with your demands?
Bankrupt?
Sorry, that wouldn't do. If they truly ran out of cash, we could offer loans.
The Japanese were utterly frenzied; this condition was something they could absolutely not agree to. If the Americans proceeded like this, other countries would likely follow suit. After a round of this, Japan would collapse.
In fact, aside from panicking, the Japanese people finally realized the reality. The Americans' objective might not be as straightforward; if they didn't open their arms quickly, more trouble would follow.
Just like the historical black ships incident, conflicts were mere clouds; what Americans wanted was simply your market.
But this time, what did the Americans want?
*****
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