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Latest update: 18/11/2008
- bailout - financial crisis - GM
Carmakers: bailout or breakdown?
Should the car industry be allowed to collapse, or should governments step in to bail them out?




























React to the article
(1) Reaction
Auto Industry Bailout! Noooooooo!
The lady in the clip has some very good, valid points but, I agree more with the gentleman. The lady points to the 3 million jobs and percentage it represents in U.S. work force stats and concern there is just but, to proceed with a bailout is precipitous considering the history of the U.S. industry and its ability to shrink and maintain a certain patency (despite job losses). The U.S. problem has been built, as the gentleman from the University pointed out, over a 30 year period. Lack of imagination and lack of regard for national economic and environmental circumstances has put the U.S. auto industry where it is. The U.S. auto workers union has lobbied hard to elevate pay of the workforce but done little to ensure that workforce is producing a product people want to buy. A union must think more about the economics of their workers as a whole rather than just putting more money in their pockets, that is a short term reward, the long term reward comes from working in a job sustaining, cutting edge industry. GM has been doing nothing but putting new bumpers and tail lights on cars for years, then repackaging them as new. Additionally, their cars are too vulgar. This advanced age demands more elegance, do we want the future to look like “Blade Runner?” That’s not a pretty picture (beautiful film though). In summary, I think the gentleman suggested that poor management must be punished, not rewarded with taxpayer money in the form of economic stimulus or bailout. It will hurt in the short term but, the downsizing will lead to a new vision (assuming the management is purged) and new more innovative products will generate consumer demand and subsequent jobs to meet orders. It is time for the U.S. and perhaps European auto industry to experience a real revolution. Do you agree?