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GM says it "disappointed" and "betrayed" consumers

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by Tideland Prius, Dec 8, 2008.

  1. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Corp on Monday unveiled an unusually frank advertisement acknowledging it had "disappointed" and sometimes even "betrayed" American consumers as it lobbies to clinch the federal aid it needs to stay afloat into next month.

    The print advertisement marked a sharp break from GM's public stance of just several weeks ago when it sought to justify its bid for a U.S. government on the grounds that the credit crisis had undermined its business in ways executives could never have foreseen.

    Full Article
     
  2. Godiva

    Godiva AmeriKan Citizen

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    Does it say "we're sorry we are incompetent and narrowminded and we regret working so feverishly against progress and the common good only for our own personal gain and greed."?
     
  3. tripp

    tripp Which it's a 'ybrid, ain't it?

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    Few businesses could avoid that one. Sometimes they're goal coincide with the common good, but very few businesses pursue the common good above their own gain and greed.
     
  4. Stev0

    Stev0 Honorary Hong Kong Cavalier

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    GM disappointed and betrayed consumers!? That is the most shocking news I heard since Clay Aiken announced he's gay!
     
  5. boulder_bum

    boulder_bum Senior Member

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    I'll finally think GM "gets it" when they say their actions against public transportation and fuel efficiency and their hyping SUV's greatly contributed to our going to Iraq, to our enormous energy trade deficit, to pollution in our cities and to the deterioration of our climate.

    Their suffering today is their own doing for short-sighted business decisions which hurt the country and the world.

    I'm not hopeful they'll truly turn over a new leaf, however. Bob Lutz, the guy in charge of the Volt program, still insists global warming is "crock of s***"! Now THAT'S the kind of guy you want in charge of your green car program!
     
  6. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    I used to work for a pharmaceutical company that put the common good ahead of pure corporate profits. Of course that was a lot of years ago, and they have since been bought out three times over, so now they are part of a standard high-profit large pharmaceutical conglomerate willing and eager to rape and pillage in pursuit of maximum profits.

    Don't get me wrong. They made a lot of money back when I worked for them, but there wasn't a "profit at all costs" sort of attitude.

    Tom
     
  7. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    This advertisement is - in my opinion - exactly that: advertisement. Tell the people what they want to hear. I compare it to a kid who knows he's about to get in trouble and starts saying all the things his parents want to hear in the hopes that they will be more lenient with me - er - him. After all, if I tell you that I've learned my lesson already there's no need to continue punishing me. And we all know that after telling my parents how truly sorry I was I never again went out and did anything wrong ever again.

    With the current short-sightedness and short memory of the American public-at-large, all this grovelling will be forgotten by January.
     
  8. MarinJohn

    MarinJohn Senior Member

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    The FIRST step is to recognize your problem. The NEXT step ( and far more important) is to DO SOMETHING concrete and positive to amend your ways. An advertisement does not meet the 'do something' step. GM lost me decades ago. I truly hope they can 'reach me' and convert me to buy American again before I die.
     
  9. jayman

    jayman Senior Member

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    As a former owner of a clunker 2000 GMC Sierra, after I read that, I thought "no s***, really?"

    Who knows what confessions will come out next? I'm eagerly awaiting them too
     
  10. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    Sign of the times, that a corporation and a politician cannot be told apart.
     
  11. PriuStorm

    PriuStorm Senior Member

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    That was exactly my first thought.
     
  12. JSH

    JSH Senior Member

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    Apparently we already have. GM did this several years ago by running a full two page ad in the New York Times (I think, might have been USA Today) Anyway, the ad basically said:

    We are sorry we made crappy cars in the 70's and 80's. We understand some of you hated these cars and won't shop GM products anymore. We are sorry. We are making high quality cars now. Give us another chance and head down to your local GM dealer.
     
  13. ServoScanMan

    ServoScanMan Member

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    ooooo....you guys are going to make the Prius haters angry.... :D
     
  14. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    Admitting you have a problem is a good first step. It still takes Mr. Goodwrench 3 tries to fix a problem. Now Waggoner & Lutz need to kiss my butt before I'd even consider buying another car from GM. Guys, you can fly your corporate jet into Philly International & rent a car.
     
  15. Godiva

    Godiva AmeriKan Citizen

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    Waggoner and Lutz need to QUIT and someone else needs to take over.
     
  16. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

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    Swagger and Putz, kaput.
     
  17. Neddleton

    Neddleton Yacht Club Prius

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    what the hell are you talking about? Prius Haters don't exist, it's a damn car man and who cares what someone else drives for christ sake.....

    that's just weird!
     
  18. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    I remember. And GM actually did improve. But going from a D- (and considering my 1972 Vega, and everyone else's too that's generous) all the way up to a C, didn't cut it. So does GM realy get it now? Beats me. Maybe GM's recent 'whoops' advertisement is like the quasi functioning drunk, after loosing their entire family, finally going down to an AA meeting for the first time. Time will tell, if it's too late, or whether anything comes from it.