WHAT IS GOOD FOR G.M. IS NOT GOOD FOR U.S.A.
It is difficult to let go of the past, but the " good old days ", as some would say, have been gone forever. G.M., Chrysler and Ford represent the past, and have gone the way of the " Wild West ". Public consensus has moved on, yet the U.S. Congress is bogged down with past memories of glory days in large part do to the lack of a term limits amendment and the promotion of members based on seniority as opposed to competence. Congress does not "get it"as best illustrated by the passage of the $700 billion Wall-Street Bail-Out opposed by main-street U.S.A. And where did the $700 billion get main-street, deeper in debt.
For the past two years, main-street has known the U.S. is in a recession, duh; but Congress and the Administration are still struggling to recover from a drug induced haze, and admit what has been common knowledge for well over a year. Now, these masters of the universe are jaw boning with the rich and now infamous CEO's of what once were the Big 3 ( G.M., Ford, Chrysler ) U.S. automakers about what can be done to insure the survival of these white elephants. Think of it this way, if the CEO's and really knew their stuff, they would not be before Congress asking for a now $34 billion, soon to be a $75 billion and who knows, maybe a $125 billion or more taxpayer life ring. It's a blind leading the blind scenario, that spells disaster for main-street and the U.S. taxpayer. You would think at least one of the congressional committee heads would query: Where are the CEO's of Toyota U.S.A. and Honda U.S.A. ? You don't see these guys seated at the table asking for a Taxpayer/Congressional Bail-Out.
Thank Congress for GATT and NAFTA, good U.S. jobs are hard to find. The masters of the universe in Washington sent good U.S. jobs offshore with typical lack of foresight and to insure the lavish lifestyles of corporate execs. Congress loves to talk about main-street, but shuns associating directly with main-street. As before, main-street does not want to bail-out the once Big 3 , now Detroit-3, and yet Congress is hell bent for leather, to keep feeding these dead horses. Feed the walking dead and they will cut lose over 100,000 rank-and-file workers; don' t feed G.M and Chrysler and you will lose over 100,000 rank-and-file workers; it's a zero sum for workers no matter what Congress does.
Congress does not have it's house in order, let alone trying to craft a plan for the survival of the terminally ill Detroit-3 automakers. The Detroit-3 proposals are 48 years to late; this is 2008-9, not 1960. In 1960, when it was apparent that foreign auto makers were making impressive inroads in U.S. markets, had the then still Big-3, joined the reality train and re-structured at that time, they would not have become the walking dead Detroit-3 of today.
Congress should let the chips fall where they may; stay out of the fray. The U.S. public. main-street U.S.A. have become accustomed to taking it in the shorts from big corporations and Congress; we will adapt and survive, no thanks to Congress.
