I'm with Rush Limbaugh

There’s a stench of protectionism over the US reaction to Toyota’s troubles.

 

The hysteria in political circles is overdone and reminds me of the time Dubai decided to buy P&O’s ports. Dubai was forced to hand over the reigns to the US ports because it posed a threat to national security.

 

Dubai did what it has always done; it spent millions of dollars on a public relations offensive. It came as no surprise that some in the United States did not know where Dubai was. But those from the US media who were flown to the emirate were surprised at what they saw when they arrived in Dubai – a modern, prosperous emirate. Something you assumed they did not associate with the Middle East.

 

And then there was similar opposition to Chinese oil and gas company CNOOC’s attempt to buy Californian oil company Unocal.  

 

There is no doubt that Toyota’s accelerator problems are serious - they have been responsible for a number of deaths. But other US automakers have been responsible for numerous recalls.

 

Now there are voices in the United States that are questioning the impartiality of the government, which owns a tenth of Chrysler and almost two-thirds of General Motors.

 

According to Bloomberg, radio host Rush Limbaugh says Ray LaHood, the US transportation secretary, has been “running around ripping Toyota to shreds,” and was behaving like “one of the brand managers” for GM and Chrysler.

 

LaHood also told Toyota owners to stop driving their cars – he later said he misspoke! Would he have said the same of US automakers?