Post by alyssaostroff on Nov 21, 2008 23:22:55 GMT -5
Citation: Daryl Cagle, MSNBC.com, 11/18/08
In this political cartoon, President-Elect Obama is seen crooning over three cars like they are puppies. The cars represent the Big Three - Chrysler, GM, and Ford - we can assume this based on the frontal license plates displaying each brand’s logo. Obama promised his youngest two girls a puppy, but the caption of the cartoon reads: “Picking the White House pets.” The children don’t look pleased. As an owner of two Labrador puppies - well, they used to be puppies - I can assure anyone that they can be a handful. They tear up furniture, shoes, make messes, etc., and who has to clean up after them? Certainly not the puppies, and it’s not because their lack of opposable thumbs, either. Like children, you have to hold their hand - er, paw - at times. I don't believe our government really ever planned to put aside $25 billion of the $700 billion bailout plan to keep the U.S. auto industry afloat. Some say that our economy will be in a even more dire state if the industry were to fail and go belly up. Others want to know why the U.S. government is holding everyone’s hand and cleaning up their mess. Those people want the companies to take on full responsibility. After all, it is our taxpayers who are paying for this “bailout.” Shouldn’t we have a say? That’s what senators and representatives are all ruffled up about. What is the right thing to do in this circumstance? The U.S. government has already bailed out the banks; there is talk of bailing out the housing foreclosures; now bailing out the auto industry? There needs to be a line drawn. Obviously, our government can’t bail out every one of us. At some point we need to take charge and deal with the consequences of our actions. Like puppies, the companies got themselves into trouble. Like puppies, the companies now require someone else to clean up their messes.
The thing about bailing out the auto industry is that we can’t solve every problem. At some point the owners need to step in and take charge. What Americans are most concerned about at this point in time is the economy. If the government sits back and lets the Big Three fall on their faces, what will become of those 2.6 million Americans employed in that industry? Unemployment? Yes. A declining economy? Absolutely. Bankruptcy, housing foreclosures? Possibly. We won’t know for sure until we decide to – or not to - take action. If those companies, GM, Ford, Chrysler, go out of business, so do their suppliers and sub-suppliers and everyone inadvertently linked to the auto industry. Advertisers have already experienced a 17% decrease in advertisements from these companies. Steel and parts producers, paint suppliers, tire manufacturers,… all would be affected. An intermittent decrease in sales and production for those companies? Forcing more inevitable layoffs? Cut wages? Cut hours? More houses lost? A worsened state of our economy? Now on the verge of collapsing? And yet the big question I have is if these auto-companies are on their last dimes, why are they flying in on private jets? Maybe the government needs to sit down with them and discuss some new management tactics, because it’s just not working the way it currently is. I believe the government has to intervene. There are too many opportunities for things to blow up in our faces. That, and because my mom really wants a mustang.
