GM bailout rant

Yeah, I get it. Except in almost all cases, this is with the full support of our own government, no matter what political flavour

 

Pathetic isn't it. If Hitler and Hirohito would have known how easy it was to lobby in washington, world war II could have been skipped altogether.

 

The difference is, when Japan subsidizes their companies, they get something to show for it. We throw billions at GM, and all WE get to show for it is what ... the exec's showing up to congress in private jets. That bunch is so far off the mark, who can see a way out.

 

The B Ship. Put them on the B Ship.

Tom

 

No kiddnin'.

Will there ba a backlash against GM for importing it's cars from Mexico, China, & Canada?

 

hrm.. so what should i choose as a consumer? the better product for me, or should i be choosing what's "American"?

Isn't walmart an American company? If they're selling chinese products, then you should be blaming walmart.

I have a japanese camera. Suddenly I should be guilty? America simply didn't get into the camera business like germany and japan did.

I have a motorola phone, that's American. Only thing is that it sucks complete nice person. Slow as balls and buggy as hell. Maybe motorolla shouldn't have laid off the OS development facility where my friend was working at. Or, should I be proud to own this crappy American phone simply because it's American?

My opinion as a consumer: buy whatever is best.
My opinion as an American: American companies need to start making things that are the best.

And no, not "every" American manufacturing company is under assault. I know companies that are doing well even in this economic turn down because right now they have the best product on the market.

 

if an american manufacturing company is doing well, they well be under assault in the near future.

As far as the camera, that is a great example where an idustry once dominated by US companies with manufacturing in the US is now overseas.

Is your motorola phone made in the US? I doubt it.

 

cameras? since when was the US dominating that industry?

if my motorola was not made in the US. then that's motorola's fault. Just like any other American company that chooses to outsource

 

Yep, so now that criminals and unions run all our "American" companies, it really is the fault of those criminals

Loyalty? What's that? I look after myself, that's why I consult. The vast majority of American and Canadian companies are clueless to a scary degree, ditto various government agencies

But in the end, since we pretended to vote for these folks, and support them by getting their products, it really is our fault.

I'm just wondering when GM will do a chapter 11 to break the pension + health obligation. What is it now, +$80 billion?

I don't know of too many jobs where you can get laid off, and continue to receive 70-90% of your income for sitting on your fat nice person. Seems to me, that is the ultimate expression of Socialism right there

 

Well, if its ok for a car company like GM, Ford, or Chrysler (Or whatever the hell they call themselves this week) to have vehicles built in cheap foreign markets, then it should be ok for Motorola to assemble their sucky cellphones in China, Taiwan, or wherever.

Does that make Motorola any *less* of an American company?

How about a Canadian company like Research In Motion? The various BlackBerry's are assembled overseas, their combination of product plus service offering (BlackBerry Enterprise Server, RIM hosting, etc) appears to work well

 

GM has been failing for 30 years. Only this time the economic downturn has exposed all its warts for the world to see. GM's problem is systemic and deep rooted. It will take some time to work off the bad stuff. But time may not be on their side.

Chrysler was doomed by marrying Daimler. That's a different story altogether.

 

The whole thing needs to be changed so phones are made in the USA, an american company needs to produce the vast majority of its products for the USA in the USA.

 

So you would prohibit an American company from outsourcing anything. I think that's a good idea, it would expose the true cost of many components once they are 100% assembled here

 

Yes I think every product should have a label on it with all content. Tax incentives etc should be used to bring those materials and jobs back "onshore".

 

Good point. We push many costs off onto society, such as slag left over from power plants and the like. In the case in point, we push many of these costs onto third world countries, where they eventually pay the price in ecological damage, polluted water and air, and the like. If these items were manufactured here, we would have to come to grips with the hidden costs.

Tom

 

Precisely. It would also provide crucial tactical and strategic security to forbid oil imports. This would hurt Canada at first, but demand from China and India would probably make up for it

In the long run, it would be good to pump that domestic oil that breaks even at +$60 a barrel. I see no reason for the Canadian taxpayer to keep funding the Hibernia Management and Development Co - a Crown Corp legally exempt from audit and investigation - to guarantee Exxon-Mobil a maximum $30/barrel cost