ELEPHANT-DONKEY.com

I am not sure what you are saying Obamarocks. The workers make quite enough money at the big 3 automakers. If the big 3 are not bailed out, us car makers will not be making any cars at all. But I did find the begging bowl thing repulsive.

Proud 2 b liberal | 11/21/08

I like the movie, Fight Club, with Edward Norton and Brad Pitt. In it, Norton, plays a recall coordinator. His job was to fly around nationally and investigate mishaps with the cars his company makes. He can be seen with two other guys with a sick sense of humor about the situation around a burnt to a crisp car. The story was that the fuel pods had exploded and burned the family inside alive. After careful observation and notes, he submits his reports. The question: Do we do a recall? There is a formula. Take the probable rate of failure, A, times the average out of court settlement, B, and the legal and clerical cost of all, C. A times B, times C. That equals X. And if X is less than the initial and probable cost of a recall, as he stated, "We don't do one!" When he told that to a woman on the plane about that, she asked, "Are there a lot of these kinds of accidents?". His response was, "You wouldn't believe!" She went on to ask, "Which car company do you work for?" He then smirked and stared, "A major one!" Right on target with reality. Does anyone remember the Ford-Firestone rollover fiascos? Both Ford and Firestone argued bitterly with each other about who was at fault. It turned out to be Firestone at fault. Still. There is not one law on the books about corporate responsibility regarding automakers and their suppliers. With this pending and potential $25 billion deal, maybe it's something that should be required by all parties involved. Not just profitability, but quality. It should be that without quality, there will be no profitability for any of those huge car makers and support companies. Until then, we'll always have overpriced and under ratable vehicles. Time for a change is now! This cannot wait much longer.

Mikethearf | 11/21/08

Remember the exploding Ford Pinto in the late 70's or early 80's? It got hit from the rear and blew up. Ford fought that one big time and finally had to do a recall.

Texasdonkey | 11/21/08

Honestly, don't even cut them the check, let the free market take care of itself.

RUSH for 2012 | 11/21/08

I don't think its that easy 2012. The free market has been severely injured and is in need of a little life support.

Proud 2 b liberal | 11/21/08

Can one be a part-time socialist? i think george bush is trying or is he one of them re-distributors....

polyfoamworkshop | 11/21/08

Is that like being a little bit pregnant?

Proud 2 b liberal | 11/21/08

you betcha!!

polyfoamworkshop | 11/21/08

the free market in this context is rubbish, it did not function before. Because: While in other countries car manufacturers were looking at the demand of their customers, the big 3 were following their belief that "what is good for them is good for the country". Apparently their board members had no idea of where technology and consumer interests were going. Same fate - like the dinosaurs ended miilions of years ago - rightly the end has come. However, all that is needed, get a new generation of engineers going. The technology is there. Kick those managers out. And the jobs will be saved.

Erich | 11/21/08

The free market has failed because of excessive greed and corruption of government at the hands of business. It seems now that Obama is just going to do the back and forth democrat thing. I can't take it anymore. I want to move to the moon.

ReVoluTionNow! | 11/21/08

Take the life support away. This system of Capitalism will die, and an even stronger one will emerge in its place. That is how the Capitalist system works, it sometimes has to get worse before it gets better, just like anything that is sick. But, it will only continue to get sicker if those involved in the system are expecting a blank check, rather than a park bench to sleep on, every time they are irresponsible. If we let the system implode, sure it will be bad for a time, but the responsible will survive, and the irresponsible will learn their lesson. It's much better than dragging the process out by putting the system on life support. Like a band aid, it is painfull to pull it off quickly, but at the same time much less anxiety and prolonged pain is involved - its just better.

RUSH for 2012 | 11/22/08

capitalism will survive, and the free market will survive. Because a government with resonsibility for the wellfare of all and not just the few will assist with organizing intelligent bankruptcies for for big corporations, poorly managed and run by incomptent boards.

Erich | 11/23/08

Again, this is why our government should withhold the checks, and let the free market take care of itself. What we are seeing now, with the big government bailouts, is not the capitalist free market system, it is socialism. Another un-capitalistic practice comes in the form of large tax breaks for the big corporations. The theory of capitalism demands that everyone have the same advantages in business. How can a mom and pop shop compete with a Wallmart, who not only runs the board, but recieves ungodly amounts of tax break money from the government to assert hegemony over the market with. No mom and pop shop has the same kind of advantage, and this is why they have virtually disapeared from the market. We need to allow the Capitialist system to do what it was created to by not interfering, thus letting the truly strong, not the government assisted, to rise to the top.

RUSH for 2012 | 11/23/08

the capitalist system - as described by the most worthy Dr. Adam Smith, a scottish theologian of christian morals ("The wealth of nations", we all got it in first year history of economics) defined a model which applied to a period of aristocracy, utterly poor peasants and some trade before an industrial sector came into being. When in the 19th century "Manchester liberalism" came up it became clear that this early and simple primitive capitalism will end in social revolutions. In some countries it did. We are trying to channel the energies of capitalism by having governments and legislatives define a certain framework to avoid exploitations of the many by the few to avoid conditions which sometimes are even immoral and unethical.

Erich | 11/23/08