MERGED: Has anyone read this (bankruptcy) about GM?

[Max]

i lost my job with a company i worked for 17 years in 2006.My income back then was $96,000 yearly.Worked my way up in the company.Oct.2006 they move my job to mexico.Today im living off a income of $48,000 a year.At the age of 45 it sucks to start over.My 401K has gone to crap.My wife works part time and a family of 4 on this income is hard.This is whats going on in our country....DSL just layed off 9500 people,curcit city is closeing there stores.And as mush as i would like to see the new camaro it's not going to save GM.

[Pushing_Tin]

Originally Posted by The_Blur

We're not out to call people hypocrites here. Let's keep it civil.

Sorry, but I think it's very hypocritical if you preach buy American and then head down to wally-world and buy a bunch of chinese crap every week. Would I like to shop there and save a few bucks? Sure I would, but I make the choice to shop at my local stores, ones the provide a living wage.

I try to do the same thing whenever I buy something. I just purchased a fire poker set and a pair of steel toe boots that were made in America of American materials. They cost more, but I feel better supporting my country and fellow workers.

[Chevyzone]

Originally Posted by Dragoneye

We are slowly but surely selling our country away...

You got that right. We can't even call the King Of Beer's our own, any more. Anheuser Bush belongs to InBev SA, a Belgium brewer......now that's really sad.

[Chevyzone]

Originally Posted by StoutFiles

...I suggest everyone get a good education because it's going to be much more important for the future.

Yeah, and take a few foreign language courses, too.

[The_Blur]

Originally Posted by Pushing_Tin

Sorry, but I think it's very hypocritical if you preach buy American and then head down to wally-world and buy a bunch of chinese crap every week. Would I like to shop there and save a few bucks? Sure I would, but I make the choice to shop at my local stores, ones the provide a living wage.

I try to do the same thing whenever I buy something. I just purchased a fire poker set and a pair of steel toe boots that were made in America of American materials. They cost more, but I feel better supporting my country and fellow workers.

I personally am not a fan of Wal-Mart. I'm aware that it is the cheapest products in some areas, but I just don't feel that the company is a good one. The customer service is devastatingly bad, and the lines are always long. It just has a dirty feel to it. I am, needless to say, not a fan.

On the note of buying American products, I feel that American companies have lost any motivation to produce in the US. Americans need to consciously choose American-made products over imported goods to make that go away, and I fear that any desire to buy American because it is American has faded. Instead, brands from certain nations are put on a pedestal because they are not domestic. For example, many overlook domestic chocolates, like Ghiradelli, for fine imports even though Ghiradelli is easily among the best chocolate I've eaten. Wal-Mart is a mix of both products, but the company selling it is American, so I don't feel that it is a mistake to go there. In actuality, Wal-Mart keeps America ahead of producing countries, according to a major developing country theory called dependency theory. The main idea of this theory is that other countries produce basic goods for major capitalistic powers. They produce the basic goods at a low cost, then more developed countries produce complex goods from the basic goods, and then the earlier country will buy back the complex good with extra compensation for the labor in the middle. The cycle is permanent because the first country does not have the capacity to produce complex products. To come out ahead, the first country has to produce more than the second country can sell at very high rate. Since more production means lower demand and lower price, this particular set of circumstances is highly unlikely, so Americans buying cheap goods from China through Wal-Mart actually keeps China in a submissive position relative to the US. Was that too much political science theory, moderators?

[fastball]

We should blame William Durant for this mess..... Buick, Oldsmobile, and Cadillac were fine independent car companies before he bought them and created GM.

It's all Durant's fault!

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by The_Blur

I personally am not a fan of Wal-Mart. I'm aware that it is the cheapest products in some areas, but I just don't feel that the company is a good one. The customer service is devastatingly bad, and the lines are always long. It just has a dirty feel to it. I am, needless to say, not a fan.

On the note of buying American products, I feel that American companies have lost any motivation to produce in the US. Americans need to consciously choose American-made products over imported goods to make that go away, and I fear that any desire to buy American because it is American has faded. Instead, brands from certain nations are put on a pedestal because they are not domestic. For example, many overlook domestic chocolates, like Ghiradelli, for fine imports even though Ghiradelli is easily among the best chocolate I've eaten. Wal-Mart is a mix of both products, but the company selling it is American, so I don't feel that it is a mistake to go there. In actuality, Wal-Mart keeps America ahead of producing countries, according to a major developing country theory called dependency theory. The main idea of this theory is that other countries produce basic goods for major capitalistic powers. They produce the basic goods at a low cost, then more developed countries produce complex goods from the basic goods, and then the earlier country will buy back the complex good with extra compensation for the labor in the middle. The cycle is permanent because the first country does not have the capacity to produce complex products. To come out ahead, the first country has to produce more than the second country can sell at very high rate. Since more production means lower demand and lower price, this particular set of circumstances is highly unlikely, so Americans buying cheap goods from China through Wal-Mart actually keeps China in a submissive position relative to the US. Was that too much political science theory, moderators?

Canada is at the bottom of the food chain there. We sell resources to everyone then buy back finished goods. Nobody has successfully explained why its good for us to sell lumber to China, then buy it back as furniture.

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by fastball

We should blame William Durant for this mess..... Buick, Oldsmobile, and Cadillac were fine independent car companies before he bought them and created GM.

It's all Durant's fault!

Blame Karl Benz. If he didn't invent the automobile, then David Buick and Ransom Olds would never have founded their own companies.

[fbodfather]

Originally Posted by Max

I seen it comming,i knew one day this would happen.You cant keep sending our jobs over seas and expect us to have jobs to buy products.imports have killed this country.And it's to late to say buy American now when nothing is being built here.Camaro is built in canada,Ford and GM both use Mexican labor.

Nothing is built here?

Malibu - Fairfax, Kansas and Lake Orion, MI
Silverado -- Fort Wayne IN, and Pontiac, MI
Tahoe/Suburban -- Arlington, TX and Janesville, WI
Cobalt -- Lordstown, OH
Colorado -- Shreveport, LA
Trailblazer - Moraine, OH
Express Van - -Wentzville, MO
Traverse -- Spring Hill, TN
Corvette -- Bowling Green, KY

.........and those are just the Chevy plants off the top of my head........

We still export more cars to Canada than we import -- and we have free trade with our neighbors.........

ON the other hand, foreign countries have put up trade barriers and/or tarriffs........

Interesting that GM outsells Toyota in nearly every market worldwide except for one -- Japan........and they're closing in on us in the United States.......

[fbodfather]

Originally Posted by StoutFiles

We shouldn't be forced to buy American if America can't provide the best product. They work harder overseas and for less money, so they win. People are always going to make the best choice for them, not for their country.

America's middle class won't be around much longer...I suggest everyone get a good education because it's going to be much more important for the future.

hmmmmmmmmmmmm........no one is forcing anyone to do anything of the sort.

We CAN provide the best products -- and many many many surveys show that we do.

I see you're from Dayton.

It will be interesting to see how the economy goes when the GM Plant closes there -- I'm wondering if you'll perhaps wish a few more people had bought a GM or Ford or Chrysler product........rather than, say, an Acura to provide Japan a boost to their economy............


And................I can assure you, sir, with the line....(and I quote you) "People are always going to make the best choice for them, not for their country.." -- if that had happened in 1941-1946, we'd be speaking German or Japanese.........

Do you like the standard of living we have had in the United States? If so, I gently suggest you think about that statement -- the one about (and I quote you)....."People are always going to make the best choice for them, not for their country"........

I'll quote someone on this site ( I saw it the other nite...) " ....it needs to be about "US" and not about "ME!......"

We need to work together to get out of the mess we find ourselves in. If you aren't scared beyond belief of where our economy has gone, you need to be! (and I'm not picking on you....rather, I'm trying to get you and many others to think 'larger'...)



I'm not telling you to buy GM -- but I AM asking you to consider GM -- and if you don't then please favor Ford or Chrysler for your transportation needs. (and yes, I note you drive a Neon - and I'm pleased it isn't a Honda or a Toyota!!!)

[playhard67]

our government needs to wake up and see what Japan is doing with THEIR protectionist laws

[fbodfather]

Originally Posted by Pushing_Tin

Sorry, but I think it's very hypocritical if you preach buy American and then head down to wally-world and buy a bunch of chinese crap every week. Would I like to shop there and save a few bucks? Sure I would, but I make the choice to shop at my local stores, ones the provide a living wage.

I try to do the same thing whenever I buy something. I just purchased a fire poker set and a pair of steel toe boots that were made in America of American materials. They cost more, but I feel better supporting my country and fellow workers.

I think a couple of people misunderstood you.

I got your point right away and I take my hat off to you.

I will always try to buy American/Canadian -- because I know it helps our economies.

Further, I always try to support the small home-town businesses -- because, you see, if I don't -- what makes me think those great little businesses that know me and my family -- will be there next week or next month or next year?

Does it cost me more? In dollars it sometimes does........but I also know that those small businesses support my family's business (in Pennsylvania) -- and for the most part, they buy Domestic Brands. If they DON'T buy domestic, I have no problem asking them what I have to do to get them to cosider a Domestic Brand.

[fbodfather]

Originally Posted by fastball

We should blame William Durant for this mess..... Buick, Oldsmobile, and Cadillac were fine independent car companies before he bought them and created GM.

It's all Durant's fault!

well ..........you DO know what his middle name was, don't you?

(William C. Durant)
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" Alex! What is "Crapo?"



(and no, I'm NOT kidding.......)

[StoutFiles]

I see you're from Dayton.

It will be interesting to see how the economy goes when the GM Plant closes there -- I'm wondering if you'll perhaps wish a few more people had bought a GM or Ford or Chrysler product........rather than, say, an Acura to provide Japan a boost to their economy............

Sure, it would be nice if people would buy GM, but they don't. They aren't because of cost, fuel efficiency, etc. People don't care about where the car is coming from, they care about how it fits their needs. America is losing that battle and has been for a while. I wish I could make excuses for GM but I can't.

As for these workers losing their jobs, I'm sorry, but I have little sympathy. Some people chose to goof around in high school and college and now they pay for it by having little to no job protection. You can't expect ANYONE to set you up for life, you have work hard and earn it. That right there is the major problem with his country, a lot of lazy people who just drag their way through life, whining that they don't get any brakes.

And................I can assure you, sir, with the line....(and I quote you) "People are always going to make the best choice for them, not for their country.." -- if that had happened in 1941-1946, we'd be speaking German or Japanese.........

Offering another product choice is a lot different then attacking our country. Not a very fair comparison.

Do you like the standard of living we have had in the United States? If so, I gently suggest you think about that statement -- the one about (and I quote you)....."People are always going to make the best choice for them, not for their country"........

I work on skills that will be valuable everywhere, not just here. If American companies start providing products that are superior, they won't have any problems either.

We need to work together to get out of the mess we find ourselves in. If you aren't scared beyond belief of where our economy has gone, you need to be! (and I'm not picking on you....rather, I'm trying to get you and many others to think 'larger'...)

I'm not telling you to buy GM -- but I AM asking you to consider GM -- and if you don't then please favor Ford or Chrysler for your transportation needs. (and yes, I note you drive a Neon - and I'm pleased it isn't a Honda or a Toyota!!!)

I'm buying a Camaro SS...but not because an American company makes it. It's the best car for the $ that suits my needs...and I think the car is going to do well because of it. Build a quality product that beats the competition and you'll do well.