I don’t know why I struggle to find shit to write about these days. All I need to do is turn on the news and find another example of how our "capitalist" society is seeing it’s government pick and choose which uber-corporation should or should not be saved and / or bought and / or run in part or entirely by our government.
This week it appears that GM will be the golden child. Apparently, our government’s rush to "loan" GM FIFTY EIGHT BILLION GOD DAMNED DOLLARS was money down a fucking rat hole since GM can’t pay it back and is now looking to go into bankurptcy.
First, it’s not a loan if there is no chance or intent for it to be paid back. The same lending decisions that led to the subprime mess were used by the government with the automakers, and yet there has been no learning from our mistakes.
Second, since when did the government become an expert in running a gigantic auto maker? In order for GM, Chrysler, Ford, or any other company in this country to be successful, they need a couple of things:
- The wherewithall to streamline operations and downsize the manpower costs associated with production. Grade: FAIL
- Good fiscal policies as it relates to spending, investing, saving, etc. Grade: FAIL
- Visionary thinking as it relates to the future and what people need and / or want. Grade: FAIL
- The ability to operate in a fluid manner and not be bogged down to the point of inaction. Grade: FAIL
- The ability to disassociate itself from organized labor in an effort to compete effectively in a global economy. Grade: FAIL
I simply cannot fathom where our government suddenly decided it really was big brother and when businesses have trouble, they and they alone will ultimately decide who will survive and who will fail. I mean, I lost twenty five grand in a lump charcoal endeavor not long ago. Where’s MY government "loan?"
Meanwhile, our qualifications for borrowing money globally have been downgraded as we are now, as a nation, a credit risk. Just like many of our citizens and money pits like GM, we as a country have borrowed more than we can ever physically pay back, if we ever intended to pay it back at all, and now that’s all coming home to roost.
So by all means everybody, keep electing rock stars and legacies and morons and the power-hungry with no vision to govern and make real change and not just sound bite from the stump change. That has served us well over the last 30 years and will continue to drive us into anarchy in the not so distant future.
But there is some good news. It seems that Frankentoe is getting stronger by the day and will be ready for shoes as early as next monday.
Hugs,
FRT
What say you?