First calls to bail out US domestic auto industry

[IronMac]

[quote Jp!]Some people don't want domestics to win. They just want to suck the life out of them through various ways, and allow cheap imports with less regulations in their home states to come in, or set up shop here with no legacy agreements.

I"m not saying inevitable for JUST the auto industry. I'm saying ALL industries past and present; same could apply to governments/societies, too. Not a cop out. Observation and natural order.
That's just laughable. Now, we've got the "conspiracy" theory cropping up as an excuse for blatant incompetence that stretches back over twenty years.

[kj]

I think JP is just saying successful companies tend to get bloated, complacent, etc. and that doesn't mean they need to die. Seems true enough to me.

I really don't think GM's problem is due to the gas mileage of their cars, but they definitely need a complete overhaul. I don't know how they can overcome the GM owner "stigma". GM just isn't cool. Even when they make a worthy car, it carries the stigma. Toyota makes the most boring cars on earth, yet they still sell. They've succeeded in convincing people the only thing that matters when choosing a car is reliability. The prius is cool?!! How the heck did that happen? kj.

[Jp!]

Yep. A lot of remoras latch onto big fat piles of money. Nothing conspiratorial about that; just human greed.

[Will Collier]

[quote kj]I think JP is just saying successful companies tend to get bloated, complacent, etc. and that doesn't mean they need to die. Seems true enough to me.

I really don't think GM's problem is due to the gas mileage of their cars, but they definitely need a complete overhaul. I don't know how they can overcome the GM owner "stigma". GM just isn't cool. Even when they make a worthy car, it carries the stigma. Toyota makes the most boring cars on earth, yet they still sell. They've succeeded in convincing people the only thing that matters when choosing a car is reliability. The prius is cool?!! How the heck did that happen? kj.
Being the prior owner of four Fords that spent plenty of time in the shop, I don't give a crap about "cool." I just don't want to give all my money to my mechanic. Ford and GM can both bite me until and unless they can make cars that DON'T SUCK. And getting a handle on their crooked dealers and dealership service departments wouldn't hurt any, either.

[SteveO]

GM was onto something with the EV-1. Then they killed it, repo'd cars from people who didn't want to give them up, and shredded them. They'll get not a lot of sympathy from me.

[Jp!]

yeah, we all KNOW that story.