> There was intense hatred for the Japanese and Germans during World War II. It still
> surprises me that Americans were able to turn that around so quickly. Maybe it had
> something to do with Volkswagens and Toyotas.

I once read a short story that was set in a version of history where the second world war never happened; instead of trying to invade places, Germany and Japan concentrated on trying to dominate the world automotive industry.
(I mean by this that Germany tried to get everyone to buy German cars, and Japan tried to get everyone to buy Japanese cars, not that the two countries teamed up.)

The story was mostly about how a chap called Winston Churchill stopped Volkswagens flooding into England, but it mentioned in passing that the first Japanese cars imported into the USA were unloaded in Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941.


Paul