GM Needs A Hug

dansargis.org ^ | January 12, 2006 | Dan Sargis

[Dr.Syn]

This is more revolting than the sight of Teddy Kennedy on a nude beach.

That thought is too much to bear. Or would that be bare?

[Nachum]

GM just fired tens of thousands of workers in Michigan and is spending near a billion dollars on a new plant in China.

GM could use a swift kick in the rear.

[Dr.Syn]

I'm a true capitalist but sometimes corporate America makes me sick. Then again, I guess companies like GM are now "one-world" operations.

[SteveMcKing]

GM has a secret plan to save the company:

No, it's not inside the box. It is the box....

"YOU WILL BUY MY BOX, AND YOU WILL LIKE IT."

[liberty_lvr]

I'm with you. If it weren't for all the unfunded contractual obligations, GM should be driven straight out of the market immediately. With only a few exceptions, they build pure crap.

However, as a taxpayer, I don't don't feel like like bailing out yet another "American Institution" sold down the river by inept management.

[hiredhand]

The UAW is like an intestinal parasite. Everybody knows what happens when parasites like this overpopulate and kill their "host". Both parties (the parasite, and the host perish). It's not like this was unpredictable. People have seen this coming for a long time now.

Maybe others will learn from it and avoid GM's woes. I sort of doubt it because people are pretty stupid on a whole. But one can always hope. :-)

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

What about Ford or Chrysler? As someone who's spent the last 1.5 years driving lots of rentals, I can tell you my opinion is that with few exceptions, the GM cars I have seen are superior to what I've had from the other 2. So if GM goes, what reason is there for Ford and Chrysler to stick around?

[thoughtomator]

Great article. I look forward to the day when hordes of angry pensioners hunt down the union leaders who got them into this mess and put their heads on pikes at the union hall doors.

[SteveMcKing]

So if GM goes, what reason is there for Ford and Chrysler to stick around?

Ford should be able to keep their truck line profitable, if they stay competitive with similar builds from Toyota.

Fixing up the Mustang was a stellar move, so much that they are scared it may oversell and become hackneyed too quickly. (Fortunately they are planning several flavors to keep it interesting -- the Shelby, Mach 1, and even a BOSS possibly.)

Chrysler can burn, I am praying, but that's my own bias against German cars.

[Iris7]

You folks might enjoy this. We have all seen these arguments before but now more people are interested in the Big Three situation.

[xcamel]

GM doesn't need a hug.. in needs an enema

[Brilliant]

Get rid of the union, put tough hatchet men in charge of management, and the problem is solved.

[Nachum]

Get rid of the union...

They are. It's called the WTO and illegal immigration.

[razorback-bert]

“Too often, GM compromises on engineering so that its models can go into selected plants to keep up production volume”

That explains a lot of screwy GM decisions.

[A CA Guy]

If GM attempts to lay it's pensions on the backs of the American taxpayer, they will be closed down with zero sales in two years.

[chilepepper]

GM doesn't need a hug, GM needs better car designers -- 90% of its cars are boooorrrrrrriiiiiinnnnnnngggggg...

[EGPWS]

So, what to do?

Go to work for the government where the coffers are bottomless and continually maintaining a full status irregardless of free enterprise monetary generation or demise.

Right?

[Iris7]

"This is more revolting than the sight of Teddy Kennedy on a nude beach."

Heck of a thought, mental image, that. Whew.

One could walk up and ask politely "Are you always this drunk?" Assuming he was conscious, of course.

One would have to be careful to approach from upwind, heh? ;-)

[KSCITYBOY]

bump for the ship

[EGPWS]

If GM attempts to lay it's pensions on the backs of the American taxpayer, they will be closed down with zero sales in two years.

They can do this only with a government blessing to do so.