‘The Age of the Big Six?’

Thomas Bray’s claim that the labor laws are responsible for the decline of the auto industry is wrong [“The Age of the Big Six?” Opinion, February 1, 2006].

Government regulation ought to be limited. But the auto industry’s problems are hardly due to labor law. By the late 1970s, Japanese cars’ quality had surpassed American cars’ and the Americans have not been competitive since.

Moreover, the United Auto Workers has at times been willing to negotiate flexible “living” agreements. Instead of capitalizing on the UAW’s flexibility, management has found blaming it to be more manageable.

At first, Detroit argued that wages in Japan were too high and adopted a southern and Mexican relocation strategy. Now, unionized Japanese autoworkers earn comparable wages to American autoworkers, and Detroit blames employee benefit costs. Yet after 30 years of finger pointing, the auto industry’s management has done a dismal job of quality improvement.

When, two decades ago, Toyota took over a troubled UAW plant in California, the result was dramatic improvements in quality and in labor relations, with the same union in place. Hasn’t Detroit heard of hard work and building a better mousetrap?

MITCHELL LANGBERT
West Shokan, N.Y.
Mr. Langbert is an associate professor in the Department of Business and Economics at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York.

Thomas Bray Replies:

Professor Langbert ignores that I specifically cited “mismanagement” as a reason for the Big Three’s troubles. But, sorry, America’s labor laws are still a big drag on performance.

Total compensation, including retiree pensions and health-care costs, is still far above that of competitors, including the United States “transplants,” meaning less money available for development of high-quality cars.

Indeed, one reason Japan emerged as such an automobile powerhouse is that the power of its unions was sharply limited decades ago.

‘Addicted to Economic Growth’

In his op-ed piece, “Addicted to Economic Growth,” Thomas Bray cheerfully admits he is addicted to oil [Opinion, February 8, 2006]. He compares this addiction to being “addicted to food.”

Actually, when a person or animal becomes addicted their drug becomes more important than food. Only after the addict gets their “fix” can they satisfy their other biological needs, like eating.

In our society, oil is necessary for every step in the production of food. Farmers depend on oil-based pesticide and fertilizer. Oil powers the tractor and the truck that delivers it to the supermarket. We all need a dose of oil before we can eat.

This addiction to oil is disturbing. What is even more alarming is that this precious oil will begin to run out within our lifetimes. Ethanol is a viable alternative to oil. For an example, look south to Brazil.

Because of far-sighted government programs begun in the 1970s, Brazil now can produce ethanol for cheaper than gas. They expect to become energy independent this year.

EVAN JAMES
South Pasadena, Calif.

‘If Men Are From Mars’

Adam Kirsch in his review of Daniel Dennett’s book “Breaking the Spell” states that the book is “finally confused” [“If Men Are From Mars, What’s God?” Page 1, February 8, 2006].

I suggest that any confusion is deliberately created by Mr. Kirsch. For example he states, “the choice to believe or disbelieve is existentially the most important choice of all”; [Mr. Dennett’s] “definition so completely misses the actual substance of religious experience”; “there are kinds of truth the positivist cannot measure”; and “the truth that metaphysical experience is part of human life.”

Mr. Kirsch is clearly flailing in thin air. He says that the book will irritate believers. Not as much as his review irritated me.

BRUCE CAMPBELL
Toowong, Australia

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