Saving the US Auto Industry

[Trilby]

WAIT! What about my Grand Slam?!

[Flint]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

The failure of companies is part of the dynamism that makes the US strong.

In the 1950s, Massachusetts was concerned about the tremendous loss of jobs, as their famous textile mills shut down one by one. But a lot of mills were converted to office space where computer companies moved in, and suddenly Mass. had the Rt. 128 corridor, and a mini silicon valley with DEC, Data General etc., fueled by M.I.T. and the minicomputing revolution.

Now those companies have been eclipsed again and now the area turns to newer possibilities such as biotech. But if we had demanded the preservation of the mills in 1950, none of this would have happened... and we would be talking about places like Burlington and Woburn in the same tones as we talk about Flint and etc... dead-end towns with dead-end jobs.

Please quit messing up my vanity searches. Thank you.

[sweetwater]

Somebody has suggested that the automakers be bailed out by the oil companies. It sounds good.

[Pico and ME]

Now that makes a ton of sense.

[barefoot serpent]

I just ran across this from here:

Like the mystic Paiute leader Wovoka, Rick Wagoner, through his tried-and true visionary powers as a corporate shaman, plots an automotive "Ghost Dance" movement. A prophetic, last stand for an industry which, like the native American tribes of the 19th century, stands at the brink of extinction
His belief (fueled by lack of funds) being that if he can just get all of the tribes together, dancing all day and all night for five days, maybe the former days of old technology / high profit SUV's and $1.00 per gallon gasoline prices will somehow, through the spirit world and their support of his righteous vision quest, come back. In the process, preserving and extending the life that he and his tribe once lived...
And, like Wovoka's vision and his misguided plea to his people to simply dance to bring back the former way of life, Rick's vision is based on desperation and on naive belief alone. The results of Wagoner's efforts, like those of Wovoka, could be met with an automotive version of the Wounded Knee Massacre, as early as this week.
- - your friend in D-town

it also touches nicely on some other recent threads.

[classicman]

Originally Posted by sweetwater

Somebody has suggested that the automakers be bailed out by the oil companies. It sounds good.

Interesting thought!

[tw]

Originally Posted by Pico and ME

Oh, and TW...Im not really responding to you here...so if you feel the urge to insult my intelligence again...please dont.

I never insult intelligence. I only post facts. And do so without any regard for something that is not technically relevant - emotions.

Again, I posted facts only like I was your best friend. Please don't insult me by assuming I am doing anything other than that. Please read what I post only for its technical content.

Now, if you were insulted, I have zero knowledge why. You did not specifically list reasons why. So I am completely confused as to why I 'insulted intelligence'. I posted like your best friend.

Meanwhile, you made statements about people straightening shelves or sweeping floors - to make work when work does not exist. As demonstrated in "The Goal", that same mistake was made in the corporation - made the place less productive. Make work was one example of how to reduce productivity. But again, I cannot explain it. If you did not learn from the book, then you have no idea why "sweeping the floors" can be the perfect example of how to make an operation less productive. Yes, your intelligence might be insulted without reading the book and instead jumping to conclusions. 'Staightening the shelves' is an example of what is demonstrated to not do. If you did not read the book, then you have no grasp of what I have posted.

[tw]

Originally Posted by sweetwater

Somebody has suggested that the automakers be bailed out by the oil companies.

Oil companies don't have $50billions of spare profits. Furthermore, oil companies have complained for generation about no innovation in domestic auto companies. Oil companies are a reason why oil prices have remained so low. Oil companies innovate dramatically. If the auto companies instituted even 10% of innovation performed in oil companies, then the auto companies would be fixed.

Nobody need bail out the auto companies. As demonstrated in 1979/1981 - replace top management and have all problems solved in years.

So what innovation has Rick Wagoner instituted to save GM? List them. Oh. Grilled even by Congressman, they could not state any solutions - not one. Why?

In an interview on WDIV TV in Detroit on 15(?) November, Rick Wagoner also stated GM is in the best shape it has been in 20 or 30 years. Michelle Maynard, the NY Times reporter in Detroit, noted that he does this often. He takes an optimistic attitude that slips out. IOW he does not yet acknowledge the depth and reasons for GM's meltdown. He is truly that much in denial. He truly believes if he can just get $25billion, then all problems will be solved.

[Pico and ME]

Originally Posted by tw

I never insult intelligence. I only post facts. And do so without any regard for something that is not technically relevant - emotions.

Again, I posted facts only like I was your best friend. Please don't insult me by assuming I am doing anything other than that. Please read what I post only for its technical content.

Now, if you were insulted, I have zero knowledge why. You did not specifically list reasons why. So I am completely confused as to why I 'insulted intelligence'. I posted like your best friend.

Meanwhile, you made statements about people straightening shelves or sweeping floors - to make work when work does not exist. As demonstrated in "The Goal", that same mistake was made in the corporation - made the place less productive. Make work was one example of how to reduce productivity. But again, I cannot explain it. If you did not learn from the book, then you have no idea why "sweeping the floors" can be the perfect example of how to make an operation less productive. Yes, your intelligence might be insulted without reading the book and instead jumping to conclusions. 'Staightening the shelves' is an example of what is demonstrated to not do. If you did not read the book, then you have no grasp of what I have posted.

Your communication style sucks TW...its your own personal bottleneck. Maybe you need to re-read the book and apply the TOC to the way you deal with people.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Pico and ME

Your communication style sucks TW...its

Adults who are still children wear their emotions on their sleeves. Adults don't need to have words carefully selected to appease their emotions. Instead, adults would ask, "did you mean this"? That would be the logical response.

You have no idea what I posted until you read the book. But again, grasp the technical content. Ignore any implications.

If you read anything implied in what I post, then you and only you are adding things that are not there. Therefore you are insulting me. Making conclusions from things I did not post. The only thing in that previous post was its technical content. Nothing more.

I don't worry about carefully wording for those who always see hidden messages - who need everything stated politically correct. It is, for example, why George Jr's lies about WMDs did not work on me. I also only see the facts and have contempt of implied conclusions.

I deal bluntly with reality. That means I expect you to quash emotions that jump to wild speculation and radical conclusions. That means my posting will upset those who let their emotions create implied conclusions.

IOW whose communications skills suck? The one who states honestly and bluntly? Or the one who sees hidden meanings into statements and then jumps to emotional conclusions? Apparently you did not understand what I posted, did not ask for clarification, and then got snippy. And again, words not chosen to be poltiically correct - just honest. Yes, I am again measuring you (in that last sentence) to see if you can deal honestly or need to be carefully petted.

[Trilby]

tw, it's deja vu all over again with you, isn't it? QUIT picking on people. Only emotionally disturbed children bully others. *

* I say this with all the emotion of Spock telling Bones some fact of life or other. Dammit, tw, we are not all robots like yourself. We have feelings, dammit! (that was said in a Mock Bones voice, not my own. I'm a robot...but not a robot like you, tw)

[tw]

Originally Posted by Brianna

tw, it's deja vu all over again with you, isn't it? QUIT picking on people. Only emotionally disturbed children bully others.

And yet I was not the one who ignored what was posted, jumped to an emotional conclusion, and attacked another.

Pico and ME still has not even stated what caused an emotional outburst. A logical response would have. I am still only guessing what caused it - what was not understood in which post. Still not listed is any quote. Still not asked for is clarification. Why? 1) Nobody knows what caused the unjustified outburst. It was never stated. 2) I still don't know what sentence insulted anyone's intelligence. 3) I still don't have a request to clarify an obvious conclusion. 4) And I still don't have an apology for an unjustified emotional outburst in response to what was only technical fact.

What bullying? I am the one accused of doing what never happened. So Brianna, since you know so much more, then you define the sentence that mysteriously mocked another's intelligence. You decided to stick you nose in it. So you can quote that sentence AND you can quote the bullying. Please - and I am laughing as I post this, Brianna - fill me with your wisdom.

Why laughing? In part because I am wondering what wild conclusion Brianna will jump to.

[Aliantha]

[HungLikeJesus]

I vote tw as Funniest Cellar Poster 2008.

[Aliantha]

I dunno...I think Radar is pretty funny too.

Between the two of them we've had some pretty good action over the last couple of weeks. lol