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BTW, way to be condescending! GO YOU!

Thanks. It is nice to know my efforts are noticed and appreciated as they were meant. Who says good work is not recognized anymore?

p.s. –

What in the world would make you think I supported TARP, the Economic Porkulus, or any of the other bailouts? And yes, if they cannot compete on their own, they should die a natural death.

The long-term good of allowing the business cycle to run its course overrides any short-term desire to throw worse money after bad at them.

I assume your protests are based on sound conviction, not just the desire to score cheap political points. Let's see, then you must have an objection to every industrial automotive company that took federal money, which would include: Ford (took $6 billion in loans), Nissan, Toyota, all the European makers, all the Korean marks, essentially ALL the world's major automakers (and some minor ones) took some assistance from their respective governments. What in the world do you drive? A La-Z-Boy?

You and your ilk would have us regress to a third world nation, to prove some esoteric point about free markets. Alan Mulally (Ford CEO) wasn't sitting at that table in front of Congress because he didn't have anything better to do. He was sitting there because if the supplier network would have fallen (which it would have), if even one of the big three went down, Ford would have fallen, as well.

We were on the verge of economic extinction, and you would quibble about help given to the last bastion of American manufacturing, that hasn't been shipped to India or China. Yes, the big three make some cars in Mexico and Canada. But the planning, engineering and marketing are done here in the US, and this is where they employ people and help keep the economy solvent. AIG alone received more than ten times the amount of money given to Chrysler and more than three times that given to GM! And we're still not even sure that AIG is solvent yet. What do any of the big banks MAKE that you can hold, or use? Nothing. They make money by pushing other people's money around.

Your little theories and doomsday scenarios may make you shiver in delight, late at night, but the rest of us are trying to make it in this world, as best we can. And government is there to lend a hand, at times, thank goodness. Since apparently, in your minds, no one but YOU understands a thing, there's not really much more to discuss. We're just lucky that cooler and smarter heads prevailed, and the economy's cliff dive was averted, at least for now.

BTW, way to be condescending! GO YOU!

Right, things fall down rather than up.

Tell it to officials who have powers of approval and rights of refusal on appointments to top spots in those companies, and the officials who have intervened to change or cancel business decisions

*** ALREADY ***

(which you'd already know if you were awake and aware).

Now all we can do is wait not only to look for future threats to Ford but even more likely, what additional meddling by Congress and the Executive will be done with GM and Chrysler, as well as more bailouts (just as with the banks, which is likely) once they get greedier as well as more inept and political.

With some government assistance, both will emerge as major players on the world stage.

DEAR VERATHEGUN,

CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS PROPOSAL

HAVING CONSULTED WITH MY COLLEAGUES AND BASED ON THE INFORMATION GATHERED FROM THE NIGERIAN CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO REQUEST FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE TO TRANSFER THE SUM OF $47,500,000.00 (FORTY SEVEN MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS) INTO YOUR ACCOUNTS. THE ABOVE SUM RESULTED FROM AN OVER-INVOICED CONTRACT, EXECUTED COMMISSIONED AND PAID FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS (5) AGO BY A FOREIGN CONTRACTOR. THIS ACTION WAS HOWEVER INTENTIONAL AND SINCE THEN THE FUND HAS BEEN IN A SUSPENSE ACCOUNT AT THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA APEX BANK.

WE ARE NOW READY TO TRANSFER THE FUND OVERSEAS AND THAT IS WHERE YOU COME IN. IT IS IMPORTANT TO INFORM YOU THAT AS CIVIL SERVANTS, WE ARE FORBIDDEN TO OPERATE A FOREIGN ACCOUNT; THAT IS WHY WE REQUIRE YOUR ASSISTANCE. THE TOTAL SUM WILL BE SHARED AS FOLLOWS: 70% FOR US, 25% FOR YOU AND 5% FOR LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL EXPENSES INCIDENT TO THE TRANSFER.

THE TRANSFER IS RISK FREE ON BOTH SIDES. I AM AN ACCOUNTANT WITH THE NIGERIAN NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION (NNPC). IF YOU FIND THIS PROPOSAL ACCEPTABLE, WE SHALL REQUIRE THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS:

(A) YOUR BANKER'S NAME, TELEPHONE, ACCOUNT AND FAX NUMBERS.

(B) YOUR PRIVATE TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBERS — FOR CONFIDENTIALITY AND EASY COMMUNICATION.

(C) YOUR LETTER-HEADED PAPER STAMPED AND SIGNED.

ALTERNATIVELY WE WILL FURNISH YOU WITH THE TEXT OF WHAT TO TYPE INTO YOUR LETTER-HEADED PAPER, ALONG WITH A BREAKDOWN EXPLAINING, COMPREHENSIVELY WHAT WE REQUIRE OF YOU. THE BUSINESS WILL TAKE US THIRTY (30) WORKING DAYS TO ACCOMPLISH.

PLEASE REPLY URGENTLY.

BEST REGARDS

AUSTINROTH

With some government assistance, both will emerge as major players on the world stage.

DEAR VERATHEGUN,

CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS PROPOSAL

HAVING CONSULTED WITH MY COLLEAGUES AND BASED ON THE INFORMATION GATHERED FROM THE NIGERIAN CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO REQUEST FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE TO TRANSFER THE SUM OF $47,500,000.00 (FORTY SEVEN MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS) INTO YOUR ACCOUNTS. THE ABOVE SUM RESULTED FROM AN OVER-INVOICED CONTRACT, EXECUTED COMMISSIONED AND PAID FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS (5) AGO BY A FOREIGN CONTRACTOR. THIS ACTION WAS HOWEVER INTENTIONAL AND SINCE THEN THE FUND HAS BEEN IN A SUSPENSE ACCOUNT AT THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA APEX BANK.

WE ARE NOW READY TO TRANSFER THE FUND OVERSEAS AND THAT IS WHERE YOU COME IN. IT IS IMPORTANT TO INFORM YOU THAT AS CIVIL SERVANTS, WE ARE FORBIDDEN TO OPERATE A FOREIGN ACCOUNT; THAT IS WHY WE REQUIRE YOUR ASSISTANCE. THE TOTAL SUM WILL BE SHARED AS FOLLOWS: 70% FOR US, 25% FOR YOU AND 5% FOR LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL EXPENSES INCIDENT TO THE TRANSFER.

THE TRANSFER IS RISK FREE ON BOTH SIDES. I AM AN ACCOUNTANT WITH THE NIGERIAN NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION (NNPC). IF YOU FIND THIS PROPOSAL ACCEPTABLE, WE SHALL REQUIRE THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS:

(A) YOUR BANKER'S NAME, TELEPHONE, ACCOUNT AND FAX NUMBERS.

(B) YOUR PRIVATE TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBERS — FOR CONFIDENTIALITY AND EASY COMMUNICATION.

(C) YOUR LETTER-HEADED PAPER STAMPED AND SIGNED.

ALTERNATIVELY WE WILL FURNISH YOU WITH THE TEXT OF WHAT TO TYPE INTO YOUR LETTER-HEADED PAPER, ALONG WITH A BREAKDOWN EXPLAINING, COMPREHENSIVELY WHAT WE REQUIRE OF YOU. THE BUSINESS WILL TAKE US THIRTY (30) WORKING DAYS TO ACCOMPLISH.

PLEASE REPLY URGENTLY.

BEST REGARDS

AUSTINROTH

With some government assistance, both will emerge as major players on the world stage.

DEAR VERATHEGUN,

CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS PROPOSAL

HAVING CONSULTED WITH MY COLLEAGUES AND BASED ON THE INFORMATION GATHERED FROM THE NIGERIAN CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO REQUEST FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE TO TRANSFER THE SUM OF $47,500,000.00 (FORTY SEVEN MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS) INTO YOUR ACCOUNTS. THE ABOVE SUM RESULTED FROM AN OVER-INVOICED CONTRACT, EXECUTED COMMISSIONED AND PAID FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS (5) AGO BY A FOREIGN CONTRACTOR. THIS ACTION WAS HOWEVER INTENTIONAL AND SINCE THEN THE FUND HAS BEEN IN A SUSPENSE ACCOUNT AT THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA APEX BANK.

WE ARE NOW READY TO TRANSFER THE FUND OVERSEAS AND THAT IS WHERE YOU COME IN. IT IS IMPORTANT TO INFORM YOU THAT AS CIVIL SERVANTS, WE ARE FORBIDDEN TO OPERATE A FOREIGN ACCOUNT; THAT IS WHY WE REQUIRE YOUR ASSISTANCE. THE TOTAL SUM WILL BE SHARED AS FOLLOWS: 70% FOR US, 25% FOR YOU AND 5% FOR LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL EXPENSES INCIDENT TO THE TRANSFER.

THE TRANSFER IS RISK FREE ON BOTH SIDES. I AM AN ACCOUNTANT WITH THE NIGERIAN NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION (NNPC). IF YOU FIND THIS PROPOSAL ACCEPTABLE, WE SHALL REQUIRE THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS:

(A) YOUR BANKER'S NAME, TELEPHONE, ACCOUNT AND FAX NUMBERS.

(B) YOUR PRIVATE TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBERS — FOR CONFIDENTIALITY AND EASY COMMUNICATION.

(C) YOUR LETTER-HEADED PAPER STAMPED AND SIGNED.

ALTERNATIVELY WE WILL FURNISH YOU WITH THE TEXT OF WHAT TO TYPE INTO YOUR LETTER-HEADED PAPER, ALONG WITH A BREAKDOWN EXPLAINING, COMPREHENSIVELY WHAT WE REQUIRE OF YOU. THE BUSINESS WILL TAKE US THIRTY (30) WORKING DAYS TO ACCOMPLISH.

PLEASE REPLY URGENTLY.

BEST REGARDS

AUSTINROTH

So, let's put this one to bed. If you were truly concerned about the American economy, you would understand that short term government assistance was the only real option.

Duh.

All three were in dire straights, even if Ford was in slightly better shape. Since the bailout, Ford's positions in the marketplace has improved dramatically; GM and Chrysler has gotten much much worse.

The point is obvious to anyone who understands business and commerce – the government sucks at trying to run businesses, and their 'help' is only ensuring ever worsening conditions ahead. For instance, a second bailout is in the works for GM, because things continue to deteriorate so badly and so quickly.

Hope and change!

On a tangentially related note, the one major US car maker that refused the government 'help' is the one that just reported a profit. I am sure that is just a coincidence, though.

Not really a coincidency at all. They didn't require the bailout money to stay afloat and therefore it would seem a no brainer that they would be the first to return to profitability.

Not really sure what point you're trying to make here Austin.