Thank you, Cobra! for raising an important issue currently circulating in the media.
I must say, I'm a little surprised at Cobra's reaction to this story! Cobra is often much more pro-business rights than I am. Although, Cobra IS very pro-american and I do suspect he is rooting for american car companies and the fact that they didn't cost american lives. Sigh... but... I shall present my surprising point of view (as a business hating liberal): why does Toyota have to pay the US government? Personally, I feel like that 16million dollar bill is more the government showing that it wants to protect Americans from evil foreign companies - ie: it's more of a symbolic political reaction. The right thing to do here is sue... sue the shit out of toyota! And here is where my view converges with Cobra's: if you're gonna charge such a meager sum, why EVEN DO IT? don't! Instead, make Toyota pay some serious compensation to all people involved.
I dunno.. I mean, I'm glad that the government is standing up to big business (such is my ideology anyway), but as Cobra points out, 16million is like 5 bucks for them, seriously. Although, I will admit, the same article talks about a fine imposed on Pfizer and I realized I agreed more with that... which led me to do some introspection and a bit of analysis as to why I would want Pfizer to be fined and not care about whether Toyota gets fined or not. I think... sadly... as the imperfect human that I am, I feel like Toyota is a good company, while Pfizer is on my hate list. This lame mentality may show why some conservatives wouldn't trust government regulation on business (because of people like me)!! Thus, I am forced to conclude that if Pfizer got it, then Toyota should get it too - thank you American government, for not being as shady as me (or other governments of the world). Sigh.
Speaking of government regulation... the reader and certainly Cobra, should read this article on a recent ruling against the FCC regulations of the internet!! http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/07/technology/07net.html?src=un&feedurl=http://json8.nytimes.com/pages/business/index.jsonp
You know what? You're right - the proper recourse here is civil. I imagine all those victims and their families will be suing Toyota now, and some sort of class action and settlement will follow. In fact, considering how much Toyota will most likely have to pay out in the American civil courts, the 16.4M fine *does* seem symbolic, like you said - perhaps its an effort to keep goodwill towards Japanese automotives, and their government in general?
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