Re: Union costs to kill GM?

On Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:52:14 -0400, Dennis wrote:

> I have little problem with your analysis, except your damning with faint
> praise GM's decision to follow the market. It is not GM's role to tell
> its customers what to buy, and for thinking people the profit motive is
> still admirable.

The question is who followed and who led. The automakers hit on the fleet 
mileage loophole for light trucks and invented the SUV. I've got an '86 
F150 from the era when a pickup was a pickup; utilitarian trans****tation. 
My neighbor has a recent Ford with the extended crew cab and an interior 
that would shame a Cadillac. The consumers loved the concept, but if the 
makers hadn't introduced it, would they have been just as happy with a 
traditional sedan or station wagon? 

The profit motive leads to a short term strategy, and we're seeing the 
effects now. The proverbial goose isn't too healthy because everyone was 
too busy grabbing the golden eggs to feed the damn thing.