Comments on: “This is not the American dream; this is the Auto Industry Nightmare”

By: muley

muley — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:43:11 +0000

…..why is it always “more” you ask? I really don’t know, Jill, but it could be the desire to be on top? To be “numero uno”? The baddest dog in the hood? I used to argue with my bosses at the mill years ago, why not be satisfied with a small profit consistently, rather than shoot for the homerun that may never come.
I don’t expect to be in the position to make those calls in my lifetime though. That’s why I blog.

By: Jill Miller Zimon

Jill Miller Zimon — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:07:15 +0000

I know I know (nice double entendre on the word enough there too!) But still – why isn’t the concept of “enough” more widely pursued – why is it always “more” that wins out?

By: muley

muley — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:04:33 +0000

$$$$$$ = POWER
enough said

By: Jill Miller Zimon

Jill Miller Zimon — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:51:45 +0000

Hi muley – yes – I heard that this morning and had been hearing the pre-deals last week too. I actually don’t want to write what I thought, but I find these mergers/buyouts/takeover/purchases, really troublesome – for the reasons you imply and others as well. We are so willing to sell sell sell – for what, in the end? Isn’t there a point at which it’s enough – everything? What has happened to the concept of “enough”?

By: muley

muley — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:02:17 +0000

…..as I spoke of the other day,”big “behemoth” co. are all about maximizing profits, at every moment possible, to satisfy the shareholders, who could care less about their fellow man (or woman).” As illustrated in this article from today’s NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/15/business/worldbusiness/15inbev.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

One of A-B shareholders is none other than billionaire Warren Buffet, who, along with other shareholders, will become even richer with this ownership change, while work will be sent out of the country, and people will loose their jobs, plants will close, “to appease the shareholders”

By: Jill Miller Zimon

Jill Miller Zimon — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 01:35:00 +0000

That's a great post (and you know I really like your blog). Here's the link for others who want to read another account of how mental we all are - thank you, Phil Gramm.

By: Clueless WW

Clueless WW — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 22:08:10 +0000

I lost my auto-industry-job in Bedford Indiana a few weeks ago when the plant there was closed. (I had a whole long rant to follow that up, but it was so long I wrote it on my own blog instead of swamping your comments ) Anyone whose job goes overseas has my most sincere empathy.

I don’t know what politics can really do about it — is it government’s responsibility to prop up a company incapable of saving itself? But the sheer scale of the looming problem means something needs to be done. I don’t have an answer — just bitterness, anger, confusion, and fear…

By: Why I hate American automakers « Clueless White Woman

Why I hate American automakers « Clueless White Woman — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 22:00:26 +0000

[...] original post on Jill’s blog crossposts from an all-too-typical story of a middle-aged ex-employee of the auto [...]

By: Jill Miller Zimon

Jill Miller Zimon — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 20:27:10 +0000

Bad American, thanks. What really drives me nuts about these scenarios is how much cognitive dissonance capitalism requires of a society. Why do we put up with that – how was it decided that it could be put up with, given what our “values” are supposed to be?

This is somewhat the same with our system of crime and punishment. Too many at-odds wishes for any one system to meet without showing up someone to be a cynic.

By: Jill Miller Zimon

Jill Miller Zimon — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 20:21:13 +0000

muley – thanks for reading and leaving your thoughts.

What’s so interesting about all this realism we see happening, we know is happening, is how we then hear certain politicians call for sacrifice – as if there hasn’t been any yet, or people haven’t had enough of it yet. What exactly do they have in mind? And why aren’t they being examples first?

I’m not the best example myself, I admit that.

What is reasonable for us to do – specifically in an effort to actually make things better – not just to know what it means to be deprived?