Title: Raid on Gibson Guitar Factory May Drive Company Offshore (Obama's Green Nazis) Source:
Associated Content URL Source:http://www.associatedcontent.com/sh ... rticle&content_type_id=8344303 Published:Aug 26, 2011 Author:Mark Whittington Post Date:2011-08-26 19:52:35 by Hondo68 Keywords:American government harassment, interpretation of Indian law, not illegal under American law Views:4427 Comments:1
Apparently the feds were looking for "illegal wood" imported from India. The wood is alleged to be "illegal" because it was imported unfinished, the idea being it would be finished by American rather than Indian workers.
The kicker is that the wood in question is not illegal under American law, but under a U.S. government interpretation of Indian law. The raid was conducted without the knowledge or consent of the Indian government. India does not seem to be concerned that it is exporting wood that is not finished to build guitars in America.
The feds have done this before, raiding the Gibson Guitar factory a couple of years ago and confiscating some wood but not charging Gibson with committing any crime. Gibson is currently involved in litigation to recover the property it paid for and was apparently stolen by the federal government.
The motives behind the raid are not readily apparent, except perhaps an excessive zeal on the part of the Justice Department to push around and bully private industry. The Wall Street Journal suggests that the real motive is an overzealous enforcement of environmental laws. Gibson guitars are made with wood that the feds are suggesting is cut from protected forests. Gibson denies this allegation.
The likely effects are, however, obvious.
This kind of government harassment for no apparent reason is a powerful incentive for Gibson to go off shore and build a factory in some other country - like India - which has a skilled work force and a government that doesn't conduct raids as if it was Elliot Ness looking for illegal hootch.
This of course will mean American workers at the factory will lose their jobs and join the expanding ranks of the unemployed. This won't be for economic reasons. Gibson seems quite happy to make guitars in the United States. The reasons will solely be the result of American government harassment.
One wonders what people in the Obama administration must be thinking supporting things like this. Don't officials want American companies to build plants and infrastructure in the United States and hire American workers? They say they do. But their actions say they don't.
Source: Gibson Guitar Corp. Responds to Federal Raid, Gibson Guitar Corp, August 25, 2011
Guitar Frets: Environmental Enforcement Leaves Musicians in Fear, Eric Felten, Wall Street Journal, August 26, 2011
Poster Comment:
Obama wants Les Paul guitars to be built in India, instead of the US.
