Detroit Free-press -- a MUST READ

[Belo]

Amazing Points:

Some of those same banks we bailed out are now saying they won’t extend credit to auto dealers. Wasn’t that why we gave them the money? To loosen credit?

And you were willing to put our nation’s security at risk — by squashing the manufacturing base we must have in times of war.

[RB43TD]

My favorite color is potato.

[VICTORY RED 1SS]

This is a real angry thread. Some heated discussion. some good points. Everyone certainly has an opinion. Lots of arguing, some threats.

The fact remains that for good or bad, IF the American auto industry doesn't get some help, EVERYONE will feel the pain.

Like it or hate it, I would sooner see a bailout for the auto industry than the financial sector.
Why is it that some people have no problem with the banks getting 700 billion, and nobody says jack about it, but the auto industry asks for a 25 billion loan and everyone is like "oh they deserve to go under, they can't manage their money so why should we give them a loan".

...Excuse me?...what??...the "BANKS" should KNOW how to manage their money, they manage everyone else's money, Its their damn business to manage money and they can't do it?..but we slam the auto manufacturer's???..excuse me???

If it were up to me, I'd say screw the loans to the banks, and divide the 700 billion between domestic companies, and increase the tarrifs on imports so the wage and benefit differential is even, and everyone's on a level playing field.
There are many more banks waiting to take up the slack.

I tell you what. If America, (North America..Canadian too) ,doesn't do something about protecting their own manufacturing and resource markets now, developing the ability to make and sell products around the world, the future will not be as bright as it is at its dim level now.

Being just "heavy consumers of goods" may make goods cheap, but its still "expensive" if all the profit, all the development all the skilled labor and jobs are for the benefit of other country's companies.
Those cheap goods lull everyone into thinking "hey","everythings great, look this plastic bowl only cost's 49 cents"
IF its made in a foriegn factory, it 49 cents YOU will never see again until the company you gave it too adds it to a million other 49 cent purchases, then buys your factories, buys your companies, and PUTS YOU OUT OF BUSINESS or transforms your economy into THEIR economy.

This is a bigger problem than people realize, and I'm not saying their should be NO foriegn investment or product, JUST a level playing field.

I may be Canadian, but I, like many Canadians feel a kinship or a close friendship to our southern neighbors, and while we may not always agree, while we have some difference of opinion sometimes, generally speaking we are close relatives and share the same great chunk of land that is better than all others.
As such, it is in ALL our best interests to work to the same end.

I will now step off my soapbox and wait for someone to disagree with my opinion and thats o.k. too as long as its not a disagreement for the sake of dissagreement, but an actual point of view.

[bigralph]

^

[fastball]

Originally Posted by fbodfather

As to the "Buy American" -- let me ask you this:

Why is it that the American public can forgive Teddy Kennedy - they can forgive Bill Ayers (dear GOD the man planted BOMBS!!!) They can forgive Britney and Lindsey and the list goes on forever..........they can even forgive JANE FONDA!!!!!.................we won't EVEN start down the road about the milions of Toyota engines with sludge problems -- or Tundra pickups with tailgates that bend in half!.............

............but we'll NEVER live down the Pinto or the Vega -- many 'conveniently' forget how Japanese cars had interiors that literally 'cracked' while sitting on dealers' lots in the 70s...........or the horrible rust problems they faced in the late 70s and early 80s........

Because we spend $20k or more of our own heart earned money on a car. I'm not sticking up for those yahoos you mentioned as I agree with you 100% about America forgiving those morons. But its a little different, I think you have to agree, when you spend alot of money (second largest purchase in most people's lives) for something you use and depend on every single day.

When people get screwed and it cost them alot of their own money, time, and aggrivation, they tend to remember that for a very long time. And they also tend to not be very forgiving.

Not me personally (I did hold a grudge about my 1990 Beretta experience, but I have vowed to give GM a second chance even after a very satisfying Honda ownership experience for the last 9 years), but the general public who has sworn American cars off for good.

[Hylton]

Originally Posted by fastball

When people get screwed and it cost them alot of their own money, time, and aggrivation, they tend to remember that for a very long time. And they also tend to not be very forgiving.

To add to this point, manufacturers have to stop thinking that recalls are a bad thing in the public eye because the truth is, the public loves them. Why? Because it costs them nothing and they get some kind of new part on their vehicle.

What they hate are the little things which are not considered for recalls. Just ask someone who has a 4th gen with power windows or a guy with a 2002-2006 full size truck/SUV with faulty dash gauges. Ask me how I know...

[briannutter]

And Atlas Shrugged.

[TomServo]

This is all good, but ultimately the consumer will decide.

In a year or so we'll know for sure who's got product and lures buyer(s) into their showrooms and who ain't.