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Reply With QuoteLOL, nope, but then, i don't come off as a moronic idiot in public.Originally Posted by shek
Do you have approval ratings in the mid 30's too
Do you have approval ratings in the mid 30's too
"So little pains do the vulgar take in the investigation of truth, accepting readily the first story that comes to hand." Thucydides 1.20.3
LOL, nope, but then, i don't come off as a moronic idiot in public.Do you have approval ratings in the mid 30's too
gunnut,
however, with the measures promoted today by both bush (and, for example, yourself), gasoline prices will go down, but only in the short-medium term. in response, people will start driving gas-guzzlers again. we saw this happen after the oil shocks of the 70s- people, in response to the market, switched over to energy-saving cars, only to climb back aboard the obscenely-crappy mileage bandwagon when it blew over.I disagree with using bans and rationing or other dragonian government measures to regulate the market. Let the market regulate people, which is what it is happening already. Ford and GM are faltering because people stopped buying their gas guzzlers. Toyota is thriving on their little cars and the most recognizable hybrid in the market.
if we are going to call this War on Terror a war equivalent to bringing down Nazi Germany and militaristic Japan, then that calls for some level of, dare i say it, socialistic sacrifice as well. after all, rationing and forced militarization is hardly the free-market at play
GM and Ford(and Chrysler) are dying because of the UAW and CRAZY-SUICIDAL labor contracts.
Has nothing to do with their cars really.
It's the combination of both.
Signed,
The Peacemaker
"So little pains do the vulgar take in the investigation of truth, accepting readily the first story that comes to hand." Thucydides 1.20.3
The UAW has boned many a Catepillar workers in my hometown. I particularly loved the multi-month strike where productivity on the production line increased when those slots were filled by the white collar workers in the company. Makes it hard to argue that your workers are absolutely essential. Of course, I'm sure that product design suffered, but the workers ended up without several months pay and loss of their bargaining position.
Last edited by Shek; 25 Apr 06, at 20:42.
"So little pains do the vulgar take in the investigation of truth, accepting readily the first story that comes to hand." Thucydides 1.20.3
That's exactly what the Big3 needs to do IMO.
They'll either get out from under the MASSIVE pension/med bennies suicide pact they're currently in, or they'll fail.
If i'm chairman of GM the term "Lockout" is never very far from my tongue...
LOL.It's the combination of both.
Signed,
The Peacemaker
IMO American cars are as good as they've ever been. Especially if you're performance oriented.
Quality is certainly heads and shoulders above the lemons that they were turning out in the early 80s. However, the overexpansion into the SUV market made them vulnerable to rising gas prices.
"So little pains do the vulgar take in the investigation of truth, accepting readily the first story that comes to hand." Thucydides 1.20.3
I hate SUVs.
The crap that the American car companies (largely)produced from about 1976 to 1984 or so was truly problematic-underpowered crap(with some exceptions), but it had a lot to do with trying to push technological boundries(emmisions were still new and led to nightmarish freaks of nature like the "computer controlled carburater", Caddy 4-6-8, Caddy HT4100, etc), and 'learning' how to build a small fuel efficient car then anything else. There is also a question of build quality intentions. A US car is made to last 10 years TOPS and be replaced, whereas a Porsche or M-B is designed to literally last forever.
I agree, UAW is a major part of the problem for American car companies. However, over reliance on selling SUVs hurt Ford and GM a lot more than Chrysler, which also employs UAW people.
We have to rethink our old business model in this day and age. I say remove monopoly exemption from the unions and make them compete with each other to increase "competition" among labor providers. That alone will shape up the unions by a mile.
If i was emporer for a day the unions would be my second point of example.
The first would be the legal system.
I never said gas price is too high. I think it's as high as the market can bear. Gas price must rise and fall according to market condition to change our habits. Those who can afford it can stay with gas guzzlers. Those who can't should think twice about buying something that has a high operating cost, just like any smart business.gunnut,
however, with the measures promoted today by both bush (and, for example, yourself), gasoline prices will go down, but only in the short-medium term. in response, people will start driving gas-guzzlers again. we saw this happen after the oil shocks of the 70s- people, in response to the market, switched over to energy-saving cars, only to climb back aboard the obscenely-crappy mileage bandwagon when it blew over.
if we are going to call this War on Terror a war equivalent to bringing down Nazi Germany and militaristic Japan, then that calls for some level of, dare i say it, socialistic sacrifice as well. after all, rationing and forced militarization is hardly the free-market at play
I also don't think this war on terror is against something like the Nazis and the Imperial Japanese in WW2 in regards to our very own survival. Terrorists can hurt us, but not to the extent that Germans and the Japanese did in WW2.
Taxes for me
my god, m21, gunnut,
you've failed to mention butter cookies.
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