GM's just laid off thirty thousand workers in order to get inventory and costs under control. Next will come the passionate pleas (or "PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE") from the CEO for North Americans to 'pull together, buy a Chev, Caddy, whatever, to keep your neighbour working'.
Well, sorry guys, (this is the UAW I'm talking to now)... you blew it! You had a chance to build decent cars for a decent wage. But you decided you wanted/needed 35 bucks an hour for doing what your Japanese counterparts were doing for 5, or maybe even 10. An even bigger difference is, THEY built cars that lasted, and ran, and lasted, and ran some more.
My Camry is about to turn a quarter of a million kliks...and I think I've put new brakes in it ONCE...and one new set of plugs. That's about it. Match THAT, Chevy.
It's not just the auto industry that should be panicking. It's time for the worldwide wakeup call. Everywhere. The Germans, with their six weeks vacations (minimum), the French with their unbelievable pensions and the Americans with BOTH, plus crazy wages, are in for an eye opener.
Remember the song, the movie, the DVD, et al, "The Russians Are Coming"? Well, forget it. It's the Asians.
Learn Chinese and learn to love noodles and rice, now. Not only is it what they've been eating while learning to beat us at our own games (while we've been devouring steaks)......it's all we'll be able to afford as the 'tide rolls in'.
