Washington may get majority stake in GM, Chrysler

Did somebody say the n-word? NATIONALIZATION!

Bimmermike I was being sarcastic. Nationalization is the worst idea. If you think the auto execs are bad at running a company, look at how much debt our federal goverment has. There is no accountability for politicians.

I smell a conflict of interest because NHTSA (Government)is policing other automakers and owning another.

looks like USA is turning into SSR?

Don't think so. We are in hard-times. Look at the depression, people could argue that the New Deal was "socialist" but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Besides, the USSR had healthcare and state-run pensions.

All we have is a bunch of wealthy people on top controlling everything (Search Wall St. Bailout) and a shrinking middle class. We are told all about the wonders of "free" trade, and we are told to enjoy the fact that we've lost our wealth so that companies like WalMart can make billions, all the while supporting Chinese interests.

This wouldnt be all so bad.

The US people would be getting collateral for a loan. The shares are non-voting shares (so people can't say the gov is "running" the company).

Then, the people who berate the Big3 left & right would see how hard it is to run a big, technologically oriented, heavy industry. These same idiots (Michael Moore) who are all about "green" technology will truly understand the retarded nature of their opinions-- which eventually get put on TV and steal sales from Detroit.

This could be a good way to get the average American to understand the B.S. that the entire auto industry has to go through.

Each state dictating its own emissions laws? Does anyone really undertand what that means? That means that for every state with some stupid emissions regs, the automakers would have to go through the whole development process all over again, recalibrating for each "green" idiot state.

I have an idea... Im an environmentalist, and not just a bandwagon one either. Let's really make a change and push recycling. In most states, aluminum cans and plastic bottles are just tossed away as garbage. Let's be "green" and mandate 10cent deposit like michigan does.

-Reduces CO2 and other waste from mining aluminum.
-Helps keep metals prices low (helping ALL manufacturers)

-reduce oil demand (plastics come from petroleum)
-reduce pollution associated with mining and transporting oil

See, these simple things actually have big impact, the SAVE money and keep commodities cheaper by reducing demand.

Instead, the nation enjoys clobbering the auto industry with absurd fuel economy and emissions regs. I definately approve of REASONABLE CAFE rules and clean emissions, however the 2007 and 2010 diesel emissions regs are absolutely ridiculous.

"Let's really make a change and push recycling. In
most states, aluminum cans and plastic bottles are just tossed away as garbage. Let's be "green" and mandate 10cent deposit like michigan does."

Except that there isn't a market for a lot of recycled materials fight now. Recyclers are having to PAY other companies to take their paper and plastic away because nobody wants it. If we push harder for recycling then the problem will get worse.

What really needs to be done is to create a market for recycled materials. Once the value of recycled materials is high enough, recycling will increase on it's own due to local efforts of the recyclers to obtain more material to sell.

recylced materials are cheaper than new materials. Idea is, yes we do have to get poeple to use recycled, but unlike the auto industry, instead of forcing people to recycle like we force CAFE rules on automakers, we let the "free market" work.

Either way, my point is that Americans only think "green" when it comes to screwing over detroit. Barak Obama had a Chrysler 300C with a Hemi for 4 years. Give me a break.... typical politician (even though I like him more than most).

Typical Do as I say, not as I do.

Don't you have a tangible comment to make?

1UAW, you really need to take a Micro Economics class. Raising taxes on imports (or creating tariffs on imports) will just have the effect of raising the price the consumer pays. Don't punish the consumer for The Big Three's mistakes. People want Camry's and Accord's for example -- don't punish them because the Big Three doesn't make a competitive product. Taxing imports will just further insulate the Big Three from their actual problems. Simply said, Detroit needs a kick in the ass if they want to survive and actually be competitive.

Biggest issue would be,

the government would see that it's policies towards auto industry are nuts. The gov would also stop bashing the big3, b/c they now would want to help.

Once the stigma of the 1980s and 1990s is gone the big3 would do fine. Problem is that in the past month alone, the average american's perception of the Big3 went from "getting better or pretty good" to "they make bad cars that get 2mpg"

Congress has to stop the mindless bashing and promote the good aspects of the industry which are never seen on TV. The media is more focused on the 1980s than right here, right now

1UAW, you just don't get it do you?
The USA has been one of the biggest backers of free trade in history.
Don't forget, it's all give and take, and you need your exports. Put tariffs on imports and other countries will do the same againt you. Say goodbye to your export markets, and no income for the country.
This isn't the 50's there are plenty of alternatives for other countries these days.

Its not isolationism, its FAIR trade.

Sure, we can't keep everything here, obsiously. But we have to give our companies a running chance where there are disadvantages such as there are in the auto industry.