You are looking at posts that were written on June 1st, 2009.
Posted on June 1st, 2009 by Mark.
Categories: Editorials, News.
You could be moved to tears reading Michael Moore’s account of GM’s demise and the ruination of his home town of Flynt. Woe are the autoworkers and the families of Michigan. Who could have seen this coming? Nevermind that twenty years ago Michael Moore created “Roger and Me” a “documentary” about the demise of none other than Flynt Michigan. Did Mike think that there was going to be some kind of a robust BOOM in Flynt? Did he not garner from his own film that Flynt was a town in ruins? Apparently not.
As I sit here in GM’s birthplace, Flint, Michigan, I am surrounded by friends and family who are filled with anxiety about what will happen to them and to the town. Forty percent of the homes and businesses in the city have been abandoned. Imagine what it would be like if you lived in a city where almost every other house is empty. What would be your state of mind?
I don’t know Mike. Maybe after 20 years of watching my town be flat busted, I’d have moved myself and my family out of there and followed the 40% of the people that were REALISTS. Oh but hey, what am I saying? The people themselves have nothing to do with their lives, the blame rests solely with the heartless corporations… namely, GM.
So here we are at the deathbed of General Motors. The company’s body not yet cold, and I find myself filled with — dare I say it — joy. It is not the joy of revenge against a corporation that ruined my hometown and brought misery, divorce, alcoholism, homelessness, physical and mental debilitation, and drug addiction to the people I grew up with. Nor do I, obviously, claim any joy in knowing that 21,000 more GM workers will be told that they, too, are without a job.
But you and I and the rest of America now own a car company! I know, I know — who on earth wants to run a car company? Who among us wants $50 billion of our tax dollars thrown down the rat hole of still trying to save GM? Let’s be clear about this: The only way to save GM is to kill GM.
Yes, kill GM. Make it something tangible. Drive that stake into the heart of the beast! Make it into a scapegoat for all of the “misery, divorce, alcoholism, homelessness, physical and mental debilitation, and drug addiction” that has befallen people that worked for the auto giant. Nevermind that GM has sustained generations. Nothing good ever came out of GM. It just used people up, right Mike? Nevermind that GM buried itself in legacy costs that rendered it uncompetetive. I know, with proper management things would have been different. Of course that’s easy to say, seeing as we never got to witness the alternative… that is until now. Now we’ll see what liberal politicians know about running a couple of auto companies. I’m sure Ford, Toyota, Honda and Nissan are quaking in their boots. Since Obama hasn’t yet levitated, perhaps he can make a car that does?
In the end, Moore ends up stating that he saw this all coming 20 years ago… I wish he’d make up his mind. First it’s all GM’s fault that the people of Flynt are a tattered remnants of drug addled, booze addicted, wife beaters… and now he says in essence, I told you so?! So people that have been living in Flynt for the last 20 years are still VICTIMS? When do people have to take responsibility for themselves in Mr. Moore’s world? Is ten years enough? No. Fifteen? Nah. Twenty? Doesn’t seem so. In Moore’s world, there are only hapless dupes, evil corporations and juggernaut bureacracies.
Unfortunately, it’s more government that Mr. Moore seems to want. Nevermind that they’ve proved to be as inept as any corporation. He runs through a littany of “suggestions” that he feels should be considered given that he foresaw all of this… uh huh. Most of Mr. Moore’s suggestions seem to revolve around mass transit. Gee, just what free wheeling Americans want… to be bogged down on buses and trains. Yes, I’m sure that the people will be flocking to these transit options. Nevermind that in South Florida, Tri-Rail is nearly bankrupt. Ah, but Mike has this covered. See you get people out of their cars by TAXING THE HECK OUT OF GAS! Gee, there’s another novel idea… eh? Who else has spewed the old “tax it” line when it comes to gas? Gore, Kerry, the list of liberals intent on making the freedom of personal transport extinct in this country goes on, and on, and on. We should all be living in cities. We should all be crowded together like cattle. Leave the suburbs and the countryside to the animals, or the wealthy… like Mr. Moore. That’s what so irksome about what he suggests. This is the kind of socialistic rambling that you expect from garden variety liberals these days. We’re too dumb or too reckless to be FREE.
You can read Mr. Moore’s “letter” on his website. While he makes good points about outsourcing and the inferior products that GM has been manufacturing it all gets buried beneath his folksy blame game. It’s a shame that he can’t see that the relationship between GM and its workforce was unhealthy from both sides. Maybe his “documentaries” would be more readily accepted as factual if he took into consideration both sides of the topics he explores. Just a suggestion.
Posted on June 1st, 2009 by Mark.
Categories: News.
Come on. It’s enough already. Does the Obama Administration think that the Chinese government is as dumb as the American public? Apparently, as Obama keeps sending envoys to China to convince them that they shouldn’t believe what they read or trust their lying eyes. This week, it’s Timmy Geithner that is in China trying to convince the communist regime and bankroller of American debt, that all is well. It would be laughable if not for the fact that it’s so darn pathetic. Here we are, the United States of America, and we’re trying to convince CHINA that we’re worth the investment.
“Chinese assets are very safe,” Geithner said in response to a question after a speech at Peking University, where he studied Chinese as a student in the 1980s.
His answer drew loud laughter from his student audience, reflecting skepticism in China about the wisdom of a developing country accumulating a vast stockpile of foreign reserves instead of spending the money to raise living standards at home.
But later in the day, Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan said it was important for the two nations to show the world they are working together through their joint economic dialogue.
“We must through our dialogue send a clear signal that China and the U.S. are engaged in practical cooperation to address the crisis,” Wang told Geithner.
Poor Tim Geithner, students are LAUGHING at the guy… but then China has little to laugh about as it finds itself in a position where it either sinks or swims depending on our ability to keep buying JUNK. Tim made sure that the Chinese had nothing to fear in the way of exporting the aforemention JUNK to our shores and onto the shelves of retail giants. At the same time in an effort to likely dissuade the Chinese from a move away from the dollar it seems that Team Obama is looking to make China a bigger economic player, offering it a larger role at the IMF.
Geithner offered U.S. backing for a higher-profile role for China in running global institutions including the IMF — a controversial proposition since it raises the sensitive issue of reducing Europe’s voting share in the global lender.
“The United States will fully support having China play a role in the principal cooperative arrangements that help shape the international system, a role that is commensurate with China’s importance in the global economy,” he said.
In words clearly intended to soothe Chinese concerns that its vibrant export economy might be targeted by U.S. lawmakers who are feeling pressure from soaring American joblessness, Geithner said the Obama administration would resist any such moves.
“As we go through the severe stresses of this crisis, we must not turn our backs on open trade and investment,” he said. “In return, we expect increased opportunities to export to and invest in the Chinese economy.”
Tim expects increased opportunities to export and invest in the Chinese economy? Wow, it seems that the Treasury Secretary is tragically naive when it comes to our relationship with the Chinese on an import/export basis. I’m sure that comment elicited laughter from the Chinese government. I’m wondering what we’d export to China anyway given that we don’t seem to manufacture anything.
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s open mic night/amateur hour in the US government… and we’re all along for the ride.
Posted on June 1st, 2009 by Mark.
Categories: Editorials, News.
We knew it was coming. We knew that General Motors was going to go belly-up. It should have happened sooner rather than later. We have thrown good money after bad for far too long. GM should have been in bankruptcy a long, long, time ago. The company is in the hole for a reported amount of $173 BILLION DOLLARS. Excuse me? How is a company that owes $173 billion, VIABLE, in any sense of the word?
What’s even more amazing than the amount owed by GM however, are the galling comments that Barack Obama made about the bankruptcy. Apparently he wasn’t going to allow GM to become a welfare ward of the American taxpayer. Really? Then why the hell is he throwing another $30 billion at GM?! What do we get for the near $50 billion we’ve pumped into GM thus far? We get a 60% stake in a company that is WORTHLESS. To top it off, the government is going to be purchasing a fleet of vehicles from the “new” GM. No, no corporate welfare to be seen here… shuffle off. Is this guy for real?
I remember when Barack Obama said that he had no interest in running GM. Well, I think somebody missed the memo because while GM is closing plant after plant, it’s also going to open a new plant that will build small cars, apparently the smallest ever offered by the automaker. Seems to me that GM has gotten Obama’s message (more like mandate) loud and clear. Who is it that is going to buy these tiny vehicles? Have Americans shown a real interest in buying these micro vehicles that GM is set to start selling? No…. but hey, who cares, it’s not like GM is actually conducting BUSINESS. After all, when the US government is your sugar daddy, you really don’t have to worry about making something people want to BUY.
This is insanity. It’s time for conservatives and people that believe in CAPITALISM to walk away from every company currently taking money from this government. We cannot REWARD these companies for their failures by buying what they’re selling. These are not American enterprises be they banks, insurance companies or automakers. Abandon them wholesale. You might be stuck with a bank for your mortgage, but you can move investments, insurance policies, retirement funds, checking/savings accounts from these parasitic companies and reward those companies that are conducting a quality business.
Sorry for the rant, but I am enraged by these developments. That Barack Obama would pretend that GM is not still on the government dole because of this bankruptcy filing is an OUT AND OUT lie. We are now in deeper than ever. Make no mistake about it.