Only 3-1/2 More Years Until We Go To The Polls To Select A New GM CEO
Russel Roberts deconstructs Obama's auto speech. Well worth the read.
I have worked with folks in the government for years. One of the common syndromes I see in government officials of all levels is something I call "arrogant ignorance." I see a lot of it in this administration.
HS:
Some of the facts are true. Dismissing a number, which can potentially be scrutinized by 200 million people is rolling the dice against the odds. The 400,000 people mentioned were from the automotive industry, not the UAW, for example. Many of the points are true but at the same time many of the points sound irritated, almost to a point of holding back some sort of hatred.
In terms of ignorance, I have never seen so many people become experts in the automotive field. Everyone have their opinions and no one wants to hear an explanation of the complexity. Every government, local or world, wants to impose its own self righteous regulation.
GM will go into bankruptcy. There is a difference between chapter 7 and chapter 11 but not for GM. I see this every day. This company as well as others in the US need to go because reducing wages in a quick manner cannot happen through restructuring. It happens by losing one’s job and accepting a 40% pay in a new one. This also needs to happen because a regulated cannot compete against unregulated. Competition drives down cost to the benefit of the consumer.
But the consumer is no longer the guy working on the line or in an engineering building or the bank, it is also the guy in Laos making $0.20 an hour or the 1 in 30 people in India owning a car. The relative wealth of the country needs to drop relative to other. We are competing on a global basis.
April 1, 2009, 7:13 amScott Wiggins:
Arrogant ignorance is a great descriptor for Obama. He speaks with such confidence and eloquence even as he twist facts to support his ideals. I love his oft repeated phrase that the "American people will support us as long as we don't waste their hard earned tax dollars". Pretty funny given the fact that millions of dollars are going to support marsh mice in the Bay area and several billion are going to ACORN to support professional rabble rousers...This guy is good!
April 1, 2009, 4:26 pm