The Middle Class Decline - It all began with Reagan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=534YLXIKT1E&feature=plcp
Richard Wilkinson: How economic inequality harms societies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ7LzE3u7Bw
This timeframe happens to correspond when Detriot was kicking out some of the shittiest QUALITY cars around and the JAPANESE were building autos that lasted. At the same time, this is when UNION demands were hitting their peaks and companies were finding they were going into the RED just to cover their CADILLAC benefits packages.
The American consumer bought foreign because the quality was better and the cost was very competitive. Companies in order to survive moved overseas because the cost weere cheaper because they did not have to suppoort the CADILLAC plans and deal with strikes every 2 months.
The UNIONS thought they were irreplacable and instead of trying to work with companies and the consumer, pursued a path of pure great. They basically killed the goose that laid the golden eggs. Now that want to cry about it? Sorry, no sympathy from me, as far as I am concerned when you see Detroit and Flint, you are looking at cities that committed suicide.
-- Modified on 7/21/2012 5:30:33 AM
During the 80's, the UAW bosses become quite friendly with GM's bosses. The UAW gave them concession after concession, while GM continually laid off workers. At the same time GM cried and belly-ached that they couldn't do a thing to increase fuel efficiency, and now we can't sell cars to China because US cars don't meet their fuel efficiency standards. Then GM's CEO came up with the worse corporate blunder in all history, and gave us the GM10 project. It cost the company 7 billion dollars and it never worked. This flop of an idea was so bad that it turned the world's largest corporation into the mess it had become by 2008.
Unions didn't decide to launch the GM10 project. Workers didn't decide to launch the GM10 project. The assemblyman didn't decide to launch the GM10 project.
That decision was made by one man: a fucking accountant turned CEO named Roger Smith.
while I disagree you backed up your argument with cited facts.
Here is where I disagree....
First of all, you can't seriously look an entire industry over the span of years and try to place the blame on one individual. That si really disengenuous. Also, it would take more than a 7 billion dollar loss spread out over years to kill the industry like it has.
Secondly, base it on my own experience
1st Car, Cutass Olds 442. Transnission died at 90K miles and would cost as much s the car was worth to fix
2nd Car, Buick Regal, Universal Ball Joint broke 3 times and the head gasket leaks oil liek crazy. Had to dumpt it about 95K miles
3rd Car, Pontiac Camaro. Fuel line issues, in the shop more than out. Dumped the car at 80K
and finally my first import
Nissan Maxima. Went 240K miles and still ran great when I traded it in, just ran the thing so long I got new car fever.
These experiences are what a lot of people wnet through.
Sorrt, but when you can build it better, more dependable, stick it on a ship and sail it across the ocean, pay import taxes and still win on quality and price, then you deserve to win the market!!
be smart, get the hell out the unions and find a job that can not be exported.
My first car was a used '87 Olds Cutlass. What a piece of shit. I'd have to take it to the shop more often then getting the oil changed.
Don't think that the limited lifespan of these cars weren't intentional. Capitalists even came up with a term for this. They called it "planned obsolescence". If you can sell a piece of shit that breaks in 5 years, then you can get people to come back and buy more of your shit, lol.
I say this is an inherent problem with capitalism.
I always knew they were evil.
cars, which were more fuel effic more attractive, actually many of the designs in those cars are still used today in high end cars like the Mac Pherson struts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacPherson_strut#Advantages_and_disadvantages
"Despite these drawbacks, the MacPherson strut setup is still used on high performance cars such as the Porsche 911, several Mercedes-Benz models and nearly all current BMWs (including the new Mini but excluding the 2007 X5,[6] 2009 7-series, 2011 5-series and 5-series GT)."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_K_platform
"Following the 1973 oil crisis, compounded by the 1979 energy crisis, American consumers began to buy fuel-efficient, low-cost automobiles built in Japan. "
Personally, I'd want the double wishbone suspension system, but MANY of the things in those cars coming from detroit during that time, are still in high demand today..
One major advantage of the cars from that era was the parts were interchangable, and easy to get to...Those were the days before super computerized cars, which MOST mechanics don't even consider real cars...Actually snow, from a mechanics POV, those were the good ol days as far as cars goes...
NOW, we buy BS cars, back then they were REAL cars...with REAL engines..This is REALLY on area where we've backtracked, not progressed..The more computerized the car, the harder it is to fix, but it's much lighter than older parts, and therefore burns LESS gas..Those were the days our cars were made of metal with real parts, and EASY to fix.. with CHEAP parts...These days the cars are MUCH LESS reliable because of how computerized they've become...
The brake problems on lexus and toyota is because of computer glitch, and because it's so computerized, it's harder, much harder to isolate the problem and fix it.. Ford and ALL the major car makers have had similar problems with their cars where a computerized glitch has called unintended acceleration, or brakes to fail..and this is just a recent example of the problem with our super computerized cars of today
-- Modified on 7/21/2012 8:14:39 AM
If you support policies that exasperate income inequality, then you're supporting an increased homocide rate, an increased obesity rate, increased poverty, less class mobility, distrust among neighbors, higher rates of violence against women.
If you support policies that lessen income inequality, then you support creating a more functional society.
Cutting taxes on rich people and waging a war against workers has dire consequences.
Data has been in for a long time. if you don't think the US is for you, you have many choices to go live your life in a model country of your choice.
try Cuba...it's a lot different than US. income equality IS the name of the game there.
try Tanzania....completely different than US.
try Sudan......or Yemen. lots of contrast from the US.
truthfully, if you think it is so bad here, go...don't try to change US...many like it here!
Do you hate America?
do u have your ticket to Cuba, yet? heard airline proce may drop next week.
Have heard of the concept called dissimilar? In layman’s term, it is called “Apples to Oranges”. No wonder you are so fucked in the head or do you even have one?