GMNext: Government Subsidies, Same Old Spin

Robert Farago
by Robert Farago

So, GM's toe-dip into web 2.0 yielded its first on-line chat in its "virtual media forum." The General's Web Slingers tapped GM Director Vehicle Emissions Issues Bob Babik for its inaugural e-chin wag. In case you thought GMNext was all about the glasnost, please note the word "media" in the title. As far as we can tell, only three (non-TTAC) members of the press were allowed to put questions to Mr. Babik. And either the transcript has been heavily edited or it was the world's shortest live chat. And yet there's still a gem or, uh, well there's a gem. “The key is offering technology at a cost-effective level so that the consumer values it and makes that choice," Babik e-opines. "This is why in the early years of a certain technology, GM supports government incentives when the technology may be more costly to help consumers make that choice.” Did any of GM's pet journos explore this issue? What kind of financial support was he talking about? For what? To whom? How much? If the journos did what journos are supposed to do, GM ain't sayin'. And there you have it: proof (if proof were needed) that GMNext is the same old you-know-what in a new wrapper.

Robert Farago
Robert Farago

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  • Redbarchetta Redbarchetta on Jan 09, 2008

    Sorry Katie I guess I missed your irony, thought you were serious about bailing out these losers. I'm all for eliminating this government waste, but that doesn't happen when you enable it. The free market works when you don't have government constantly manipulating it. And their is no guarantee that people wont be able to find jobs, they may end up having a more fruitful future once release from the shackles of GM. We may see an even better come out of the ashes of GM's crash, one that we can all be proud of. Plus it is their responsibilty to be planning for the future, not mine to constantly bail them out. I could loss my job tomorrow or the owners decide to close up shop and retire in Jamaica. I'm not going to crying to the government to support me and my family, I'll find a new job and work harder at it like I have done several times before. Why is it that our society doesn't think they should be responsible for themselves. What has happened to self reliance for the individual and companies. I'm not going to get into a debate over the war I agree money has been hugely wasted again by an enabled inefficient government. But the need was there WMD or not. How quickly people forget about the almost half million people within his own country Saddam killed. It's so easy for the wealthy nations to just turn their eye to human suffering if it doesnt effect us. Maybe people should open their history books and look at the parallels between Saddam and Hitler. And how everyone ignored what was going on because it wasnt effecting them and what did that get us in the end, 60 million dead and worldwide economic distress.

  • Cammy Corrigan Cammy Corrigan on Jan 09, 2008

    Rebarchetta, You're absolutely right, this isn't the forum to discuss war (maybe starting one?), but I'm sorry I don't buy the "we had to go, WMD or not". Because if that was the case, then I look forward, to the UK and the United States, overthrowing Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe or one of the many other African dictators?

  • Redbarchetta Redbarchetta on Jan 09, 2008

    I'm all for it as long as Halliburton is not there. Those African dictators need to be eliminated.

  • Cammy Corrigan Cammy Corrigan on Jan 09, 2008

    You definitely won't find Halliburton in Zimbabwe. There's no oil there!

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