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so thats what u look like.
also i agree with you, gm should have been allowed to fail. I hope this works out.
RF…I cannot think of a better description than yours.
A drug addict with a drug dealer as a sponsor.
Holy Crap…that was beautiful!
And I HATE it when Obama and other speakers say “I want to be truthful with you”…
Really?
No kidding?
And what were you doing just prior to you saying that..being not so frank???
Lastly, IF we are being warned by the prez that people involved and dependant upon GM all these years will now face hard times and job loss, why did he get involved to begin with?
Why not just let that happen without our 100 Bazillions????
You forgot to say death to America.
Just saw the video at Google news. Good for you, Robert, you went on AlJazeera and they gave you the last word!…
You know it’s so amazing, the way a lot of the Detroit debacle is discussed in the media & by gov’t officials, i.e. it’s mainly a financial question & if we just give these yo-yo’s enough money to “tide them over” this rough period in the economy while they close down some of their excess capacity, everything will be cool. Very little mention of the end result of all those years of crap management; the crap product, that has been the driving factor in loss of market share. Still clueless one year from now, indeed. Leaner, meaner & they’ll still be a day late & a dollar short. 40 years of world class foul-ups will not be cured in a 90 day “bankruptcy”.
I was disappointed.
I had read on the other thread that the jihadis would fill the segment with Holocaust denial and thirty minutes of analysis from al Qaeda’s Automotive Analysis Mullah, so my expectations for Jerry Spring-levels of rancor were high. Instead, I saw a level-headed, well moderated discussion, which was lacking Glenn Beck’s weeping and assorted ventures into performance art.
Allah forbid that we possibly think that them Ay-rabs could do a better job with an interview program than the Fox team. If it doesn’t involve O’Reilly ranting, it can’t possibly be fair and balanced.
Did they have a monitor on your side (so you can view the action), or camera-only?
Next time, I’d add a few numbers or tidbits to boost credibility instead of excessive editorializing.
agenthex:
Camera only.
I love the part about how if we didn’t spend 100 billion on this fiasco we would have seen economic collapse. WTF does Mr. Professor think is going on right now? No one is going to invest in companies the same way again as long as they remember how the investors were screwed in favor of labor this time.
The world will still revolve without GM.
Allah forbid that we possibly think that them Ay-rabs could do a better job with an interview program than the Fox team.
Imagine their shock if we were to inform them that RF is Jewish!!1!elevens!!
Well to be fair they’d still let him on, but maybe they’d caption him as “The Jew”, just like how american programs are now reduced to interviewing caricatures.
U S A ! U S A !
Robert, You’re in Providence RI?
TTAC Boston meet?
Very measured and polished, Robert, well done.
A cocaine addict and a cocaine dealer. THAT was priceless, something we would never hear in our media with the puffball questions and such. That needed to be said. Right between the eyes. Kapowee!
Excellent.
I have watched Al Jazeera for a long time. They got the Icelandic meltdown right 18 months before it happened; and they called the subprime crisis (as well as the CDS problem).
What I like is that they give people time to talk, without the point-counterpoint nonsense on other stations.
Yes – GM will still tank, but we’ll be out 200 Billion Dolares Americanos before the realization is general.
If, at least, they had stated at the outset that a new course would be set. As you said, dead company walking. More money for more of the same.
The problem is that the companies which didn’t screw up are penalized by the government bailing out idiot management.
Been watching video, good job taking the Professor from Berkley on.
I hope you end up on more networks saying this stuff, because someone should be paying attention.
http://www-geography.berkeley.edu/PeopleHistory/faculty/H_Shaiken.html
Also, apparently, Mr. Shaiken is a Geography professor. Just food for thought.
They couldn’t get someone from the economics dept or IEOR? Or didn’t want to bother?
An IEOR (Industrial Engineering/Operations Research) prof on GM would be amusingly brutal.
http://ieor.berkeley.edu
I just watched it again and realize I missed something. Harley Shaiken is the crack addict.
Nice job Robert. I would ask for my money back if I took a class with that Professor.
Allah forbid that we possibly think that them Ay-rabs could do a better job with an interview program than the Fox team. If it doesn’t involve O’Reilly ranting, it can’t possibly be fair and balanced.
Why, o, why do you guys have to bring up Fox news???
Is it any relevant to this thread?
Fox news is there to balance out CNN.
Deal with that!
Why, o, why you guys have to bring up Fox news???
Because on the other thread related to this interview, there were some conservatives who were critical of Mr. Farago doing this segment, based upon inaccurate assumptions.
Fox news is there to balance out CNN.
That doesn’t explain why the quality of it sucks.
I don’t mind that it’s conservative. It’s the low quality that offends me.
Interviews on Fox are not really interviews. They’re just rants by the presenter, offered in the form of a question. If I watch an interview, I’m doing so because I want to hear the guest, not to listen to the interviewer talk over or suck up to the guest. Fox is tabloid television, not real news.
“Why, o, why do you guys have to bring up Fox news???
Is it any relevant to this thread?
Fox news is there to balance out CNN.
Deal with that!”
What a load of…
…there’s NO MATCH in the US for FauxNews, this instigative, agents-of-hate video channel (no, it’s not news.)
I enjoyed it, thought RF did a pretty decent job with the crazy Geography professor and the angry looking British dude. If only they’d have discussions like this on US based channels.
Good work, RF. You certainly seems to have a well developed bullshit detector. Cutting through all the bullshit crap seems to be the number one priority when discussing these things publicly. Astute, and to the point.
First of all this is piece was far more content rich, with a better quality of expressed opinion, than any roundtable discussion on the auto industry I’ve seen from our mainstream domestic media. That is really embarassing. Seriously, I feel shamed, and I’m not even part of the industry.
You nailed the management point, not that anyone opposed that assertion, but you didn’t adequately explain why you think this particular intervention is bound to lead to further excessive government involvement in industry. I’m not one to automatically discount slippery slope arguments, but there are examples of government intervention that have not led to a permanently state run industry (or failure). That claim, because there are counter examples at hand, needs background to come across as something more than a political or economic belief. Still, you carried the day on this one for sure, and compared to you the professor seemed unprepared to discuss this issue at hand. I would be suprised if this dosen’t lead to more invitations.
Providence, RI.
I used to work the Hope Street Dominos and jog down Blackstone Blvd.
Haven’t lived in RI since early 1997.
I am heading back there this summer for my 20th High School Reunion in July.
So if Robert appears on Fox News some of you will boycott TTAC.
How on earth will we live without your pithy comments?
That was a great interview and show! I’m glad you decided to go on it.
Pch101 :
June 3rd, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Fox news is there to balance out CNN.
That doesn’t explain why the quality of it sucks.
I don’t mind that it’s conservative. It’s the low quality that offends me.
I’m a fairly libertarian/conservative person. And I have to say that the quality of Fox News is pretty bad. But, while it does have more conservative’s on it than other news networks, it isn’t really that conservative a network. And O’Reilly isn’t a conservative at all. He is just a populist blow hard.
What? Nobody chucked a scimitar at you?
Seriously, it was pretty good. I’ll do you a favor for your next TV appearance, I’ll loan you one of my jackets. Size 42 OK?
Fox news is there to balance out CNN.
How does having two low-quality, right-wing (CNN is right of centre; Fox news moreso) news firehoses that treat their audience like meth-addicted jackdaws constitute “balance”.
If you mean that Fox exists to balance out a left-wing equivalent, I have to ask “What left wing equivalent?”. There are centrist equivalents at, perhaps, MSNBC or NPR, but I’ve yet to see DailyKos start up a news channel.
If you mean Fox balances out actual, reputable journalism outlets by being their deranged cousin then sure. But that reputable list of organizations does not include CNN, either.
Robert
Good interview.
I think you may want to turn down the rhetoric a little (says the guy who went full-bore theatrical in his last post) but this was much more interesting to watch/listen to than the last few engagements you’ve had where you were soundbitten to death. Your message is better suited to middle-distance and marathon sessions than the tabloid television.
Well done RF!…Unlike that Fascist Twinkie(TM) from Kalifornia who is forming young minds…Ugh.
Fantastic work. All straight forward about the situation. You made us proud.
okay so who wants to put together an al qaeda propaganda vid with bits from this?
Well done interview. That was the first english language Al Jazeera show I have watched. Fair coverage on this subject. They actually had articulate people on each side of the fence.
Good interview. Well-spoken, as usual.
It’s too bad some of the commenters are so ignorantly racist and xenophobic. I can’t believe people are still making al Qaeda references.
Nice job.
I suspect though that the average viewer did not get the point that this is a political bailout as much as a business bailout.
Robert – I must say well done, absolutely clear and polished – like your writings here –
The Truth The Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth so Help you God !
Another problem fox news has besides the poor quality and bias is that they have high tendency to be objectively wrong on “issues”.
You can basically form a network which just parrots diametrically opposed viewpoints and be mostly correct, however incidental.
psarhjinian;
I love ya like a TTAC brother, but.
MSNBC is hardly centrist. Heard of Rachel Maddow or Keith Oberman. Those two make up part of MSNBC’s primetime line up. It’s two full hours of Republican bashing, while they laud everything Democrat. No thanks.
For me, Fox can be equally hard to watch because it’s so cheesy and tabloid(ish).
RF that was a good twenty-three minutes. You done good!!!
lol, “laughed out of the petrol station”….I love English English.
see Al Jazeera is definitely no worse than MSM American News!
How does having two low-quality, right-wing (CNN is right of centre; Fox news moreso) news firehoses that treat their audience like meth-addicted jackdaws constitute “balance”.
If you mean that Fox exists to balance out a left-wing equivalent, I have to ask “What left wing equivalent?”. There are centrist equivalents at, perhaps, MSNBC or NPR, but I’ve yet to see DailyKos start up a news channel.
@psar:
Wow. I knew you were left-wing, but I had no idea…
Fox News is right-wing, and not very good, and I say that as a more conservative person. CNN and NPR are easily left of center consistently, and better quality, although CNN’s more of a lightweight. Obviously, MSNBC couldn’t be more left-wing if they tried, between Schultz, Matthews, Olbermann and Maddow, but at least when they say something I have some confidence that it might have some basis in truth.
I think this was a really good job on your part.
I thought you could’ve put in more facts and analysis from the DWs, as it would have made your argument stronger. I bet readership will increase alot!
CNN and NPR are easily left of center consistently,
It’s interesting how these perspectives developed. Once upon a time, all these news media were considered centrist, and by centrist I mean promote corporate values.
Then there came fox news, et al, which sought to define a new “right”, and in the process painted all the centrist (corporatist) media as “left”. The centrists instinctively and obediently moved to the “center” again, and thus started a process which facilitates the rightward migration of media.
But as you point out, this is an orthogonal issue with the quality of investigative journalism, and objective/empirical truth. Conservatives don’t believe in these new post-medieval concepts, so naturally they won’t allow them to corrupt their values.
I think one aspect not addressed is that no one truly believes GM has the ability to make a competitive car today, 1 yr or 5 yrs into the future.
Without a truly competitive car and the same 16 million plus sales + increasing their 19% market share there will be no hope of success.
GM needs too many miracles to survive.
RF, it took some guts to go on the show, so I have to give you that. You also made your position altogether clear, though unfortunately you didn’t expand on it much by giving examples to buttress it. Instead, you reverted to the metaphorical devices that you enjoy using on the site. Here, though, they comes across as less compelling. You’re selling yourself short and I hope you make better use of your vast store of knowledge in future interviews (which will no doubt be coming). BTW, I thought the other two guests were quite good, both in their command of the subject and in their clear enunciation. All in all, an excellent group, a fine moderator and an object lesson for most American broadcasters.
CNN and NPR are easily left of center consistently,
It’s interesting how these perspectives developed.
Spoken like someone who hasn’t taken the time to sit and just listen to programs such as “All Things Considered”.
If you can’t hear the left leaning in that, man, it’s time to take off the rose colored glasses. Just because no one is shouting doesn’t mean it’s not HEAVILY skewed left.
I recall CNN earning the left leaning rep as a result of it’s very favorable coverage (to Bill) during the Monica Lewinsky mess (pun intended).
Having said that, Fox sucks. The entire network has jumped the shark. I mean, a network that puts Pat Buchanan on as a regular guest shows that they’re as out of touch with reality as the rest of the Republican party.
If you can’t hear the left leaning in that, man, it’s time to take off the rose colored glasses.
Again, the “left lean” has traditionally been centrist. Perhaps you can try reading the post again for the reasons why. Real leftists (you know, the kind that advocate and organize for worker’s rights) are never featured on US media.
-
I mean, a network that puts Pat Buchanan on as a regular guest shows that they’re as out of touch with reality as the rest of the Republican party.
Didn’t you just implicitly mark yourself as a conservative in the other blog entry?
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/gm-dealer-kiss-off-could-cost-feds-13-billion/#comment-1492673
Buchanan is the quintessential paleo-conservative.
In any case he’s on MSNBC now as a punching bag.
Good job RF, as others said it takes brass ones to get in front of a camera and respond instantly like that. The interviewer seemed to know his stuff and kept the debate lively.
Be interesting to track the traffic at the site and see how much of boost this interview gets you. Of course the whole GM mess has already given this place a huge boost.
Good job Robert. Entertaining and informative, but do get a blazer or something :)
Imagine if the bailout funds went into Tesla Motors?
I think the problem lies in the fact that GM is producing a product that nobody wants. Current sales marketing is reduced to “Out of a job yet” bumper stickers.
I’m no economist, but I believe a business is an entity that sells a product, at a price greater than the cost of production, to consumers who demand the product. Is GM a business?
I’ll agree that was a well done and balanced interview. It was even quite interesting to hear a (Berkley?) professor defend Detroit.
Still, I am disappointed that you went on Al Jazeera. I have seen enough of their Arab programming to make me feel uncomfortable with support for this network.