[JusticePete]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

Ford's been pulling this sh*t for a while now. Remember Farley's remarks a few months ago?

They're pissed that they "didn't take a bailout," yet GM still murders them in sales every month. They've completely rebuilt their lineup, they have a new infotainment system, yet GM still outsells them.

What they fail to realize, though, is that a lot of Americans simply don't give two sh*ts about the automotive bailouts anymore. It's old news. The ad actually generated more negative press for Ford than positive as a lot of folks saw it as a low-blow and ironic considering how Mulally also went to Congress.

Originally Posted by Scarrzz

As for the F word commercial, it's just like other negative ads. You use them when the good stuff you can say about yourself isn't good enough to do the trick.

That got me to thinking about the culture we have settled into where putting someone down to make yourself look better is common.

In my opinion, what America needs is a return to Decency, Liberty, and Personal Responsibility. The rest would sort itself out.

I'll try to do my part. It's an individual choice, not something that can be fixed by passing a law. In my opinion, many Americans have succumbed to a culture of narcissism, and that is what is choking out our economy and our future.



Just to be clear, I'm talking about people & philosophy here, not politics.


/Rant: off

Originally Posted by OldScoolCamaro

....here here Scarrzz!!! Well said my friend. I couldn't agree with you more. Now, back to our regularly scheduled program.....

I am a a free market guy to the bone. The out bailouts rub me the wrong way on so many levels. What the government did for GM is less than what the government OWED them. The incentives that state governments provided to Toyota and the rest of the transplants early on put the BIG three at a disadvantage. On a national scale we have open markets, yet we fail to provide open markets in foreign countries. Combine that with a pathetic fiscal policy and the government owed GM. GM took the brunt of all these government actions because they were the largest domestic auto mfg.

Ford had a different series of issues. They were on the ropes when Bill Ford brought in Mulally. They were a mess. The loans Mulally took out were out of necessity. Without that liquidity Ford had no future with or without the beginning of a recession. Necessity turned into brilliance with the recession as liquidity evaporated over night.

Now while Ford pretends to wave the American flag and their independence by not participating in the bailout they get into an interesting position. Mulally, the same genus that took out the loans, testified that the bailout was absolutely necessary or Ford would fail too. Why? Ford would lose their key suppliers so please bailout GM and Chrysler.

The next is the relationship with Toyota. Ford has partnered with Toyota to build fuel efficient (read as some type of electric) large trucks. This is the same Toyota that pulled back from the USA to protect their interests when the economy got rough. Now the most popular vehicle sold in the USA for the last 30 some odd years will be built in partnership with Toyota??? Hey look at me. I am the last bastion of great American automotive manufacturing and technology. I didn't take bailout money. I did take government money to spend on electric vehicle technology and will gleefully share it with Toyota!

All businesses live in glass houses. All of us. Throw stones makes about as much sense as burning money for heat because you can't pay the gas bill. I have no problem with bare knuckle product to product marketing. I have been known to occasionally engage in it. On the other hand, when I start claiming my business is more virtuous than your business... stick a fork in me becuase I am done.

In the end, I hope Ford does well. There are a lot of good hard working poelpe that depend on the company. They didn't start this nonsense. I also hope that GM does better. The people that work at GM that stuck it out under the cloud of BK and Government Motors deserve a great result.