Two wrongs don’t make a right.

In Germany the cheapest acceptable ones out there are about EUR 60K just like they were a few months ago when the credit crunch was alledgedly not going to seriously affect Europe according to most politicians (seriously, I know you can’t say anything else, but really?).
Anyway, there are about 250+ on sale in Germany listed on mobile.de. I’m not looking to buy one, but I just check it out sometimes. I would seriously rather have a 360 than an F430.

On another note, I too am totally not seeing the point of the Toyota iQ. I just don’t see it working, the base model iQ is EUR 12,990 in the Netherlands, the bigger Aygo with the exact same engine is EUR 8,690. There’s really not one reason that they are selling this car in Europe, so probably, they won’t do much of it.

Using the absurd comparison to the Chrisitian Chidren’s Fund commercials to highlight this absurdity is as absurd as the absurd situation.

Absurd.

Hey for a real side splitter…how about starving kids ….with flies buzzing around them.
It don’t get any funnier.

Marcus:Quit your job and take that act on the road.The comedy clubs in Flint or Lansing or Oshawa they need a few laughs.

And it used to be that owning stock in a company provided ownership (no matter how small) in that company, while that’s still technically true, these days I believe most people just see stocks as a way of making money rather than being responsible for the company they have invested in. This makes it easier for executives and board members to do their thing the way they want. Many people don’t even know what stocks they have invested in since it is done through second and third parties (through 401(k)s, pensions, mutual funds, etc.) and is handled entirely by “professionals.”

@King Bojack, @galaxygreymx5 – Thanks. Flies and muddy faces.

What, in your opinion, would it be worth sending industrial spies to GM for? Anything? I can’t think of anything …

@ Pat Holliday

Hmmm, Sir Fred seems absolutely without any shame whatsoever.

There’s a furore in the UK this week, as one of our oldest banks (300 years) has had to be bailed out – it made a similar loss to GM’s last year.

It’s since emerged that the failed 50-year old CEO left with a £650,000p.a. pension… Read about it here

And then it struck me that Rick Wagoner is still claiming $20million in an annual salary!?

You guys need to build yourselves a Place De La Concorde in DC or somewhere, and organise a 1789-themed get together.

The men of power are taking the piss now.

Yes – a capsule sentence that says it all. Having seen how management has looted US industry, without being stopped, it’s little wonder that this is where we ended up.
The need to keep shareholders happy was perfectly conflated with the options packages exec’s demanded and manipulated. Executives made more money the less they spent on the businesses they were in charge of, and even more if they bled their customers and employees.
Moving manufacturing to other countries was an easy decision.
Not investing in R&D was an obvious one.
Holding product development back several generations was a requirement.
Financing their options packages with loans, since there wasn’t a real profit, was a given – “investing in the company.”

And now – the US has become Wil E Coyote, having run off the cliff, still waiting for the realization there is such a thing as gravity.

Does my GM employee come with flies buzzing around his head?

You must be new here and unless you’re being facetious you are totally barking up the wrong tree. Lots of people here can’t stand GM so I don’t think you’ll get much help. Sorry.

I’m guessing that the government will provide massive amounts of cash so that GM can reassemble the supply chain. They will buy back Delphi and hundreds of other suppliers.

The insanity doesn’t end until the majority of American’s decide it does.

For years we’ve been taking you to GM plants like this and showing you the heartbreak, the workers whose only mistake was becoming a GM employee.

On average, hundreds lose their job every day.

But thousands more kept working because of American citizens who made a difference in their lives. And sometimes actually saved them.

We know you thought about it, put it on a nice to-do list, but somehow never got around to it – even though the phone is right there and the call is free. Maybe it kind of gets lost in how busy you are. Maybe you’re just taking your time.

But GM employees don’t have ’til the 12th of never.

It’s not the 28 cents a day is it? That’s all it would take from every man woman and child in America. Sponsoring a GM employee – letting them keep their house, their pension, their healthcare, have clean running water – it’s the best thing that can happen to a quarter and three pennies.

And it’s not like you’ll feel bad after doing it. You’ll feel great about sponsoring a GM employee every day you get up.

And you don’t have to worry about the GM executive officers. 80 cents of every dollar that comes in goes right out to help those titans of industry.

So why not now? Know what I think it is? I think you just forgot the number, so here it is: (313) 556-5000.

General Motors is one of America’s oldest and most trusted corporate entities. For over 100 years GM has helped you build your future through automobile production, now you can help us build the future of GM.

So why not now? We’ll send you a picture of a GM employee who needs you along with a letter from them letting you know how your 28 cents has changed their life.

Also, instead of dealing with car salesmen they could use IRS auditors instead, because those guys are already experience in people fudging numbers and looking for loopholes. They’d fit right in as finance men.

Finally, the GM service departments could be staffed by U.S. Postal workers. The quality of service would remain the same as it is now through GM, as well as turnaround time to get anything done.

It won’t be long. Even Congress’ billions in Bandaids can’t stop this hemorraging.