When will we learn?

[rkmdogs]

In an article in the Sunday, March 25, 2007 edition of Parade supplement the is a column called,

"Intelligence Report" written by Lyric Wallwork Winik (it says), and alleges to be a report from abroad. It says,

"Europe: "No" to foreign cars

Americans have embraced Japanese cars to the point where U.S. automakers like Ford and General Motors

are fighting for their lives. Not the Europeans. Most show great loyalty to their own nationalities when it comes to buying a new set of wheels. In Germany, the 10 best-selling cars are all German. In France, nine of the top ten are French-made.

Three of the five most-popular cars in Italy are made by Fiat, an Italian firm. And in Sweden, Volvos and Saabs account for the four best-selling vehicles."

I attribute this situation to the general dumbing-down that has occurred in the American driving situation. When we build cars that literally "think" for the driver, what do they have to know about cars?

Mosy of todays drivers think of the car as another appliance, like the stove or refrigerator. They don't realize the fact that

it is said that one out of every seven jobs in the U.S. is someway related to the auto industry. But that was yesterdays

news. Now we have foreign-owned companies that build plants here and hire Americans---- but the profits still go offshore!

We need to wake up and realize that the job you save, by buying a car from an American-based company may just be your

own!

Of course that too was before NAFTA started "sucking" jobs outside of our borders. Well when you are out of work and need a car, ask if you can pay for it in yen, or pesos, or some other foreign currency!

[CARBIZ]

The Japanese assault on the North American market is unique and peculiar, indeed. There is nowhere else in the world where the Japanese have come to dominate quite as much. Even in South America, Chevrolet is #1 and Toyota way down the list, behind Fiat and others. Of course, the real reason Toyota and Honda have made such a frontal assault on the American market is because it is so large (17 million sales a year) and because Americans are so fond of ANYTHING foreign. I won't even include Canada in this mess because we Canadians have absolutely no pride and will take whatever crumbs are thrown to us by anybody.

[Cory Wolfe]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. If the only reason you buy a vehicle is because of where it's made from... Guess what, you're no better than the dumbasses you despise.

Edited March 30, 2007 by blackviper8891

[Flybrian]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. If the only reason you buy a vehicle is because of where it's made from... Guess what, you're no better than the dumbasses you despise.

Having it play a role in your buying decision is no different than a myriad of other reasons people use to determine what vehicles they want to select from.

[CARBIZ]

Well, the Europeans are spoiled because they have a lot of different European manufacturers to choose from, and I would take Ford, Vauxhall, Opel off their list, because those manufacturers are "foreign," even if built there. Peugeot, Renault, VW, Fiat, etc. all have very interesting choices to offer, probably more models than we North Americans can choose from, but I would have to say that between Ford, GM and Chrysler (although I am only leaving Chrysler on the list because of their long heritage and history in North American culture) surely there is something for all of us in North America, without having to throw $30k across the ocean!

[pow]

In an article in the Sunday, March 25, 2007 edition of Parade supplement the is a column called,

"Intelligence Report" written by Lyric Wallwork Winik (it says), and alleges to be a report from abroad. It says,

"Europe: "No" to foreign cars

Americans have embraced Japanese cars to the point where U.S. automakers like Ford and General Motors

are fighting for their lives. Not the Europeans. Most show great loyalty to their own nationalities when it comes to buying a new set of wheels. In Germany, the 10 best-selling cars are all German. In France, nine of the top ten are French-made.

Three of the five most-popular cars in Italy are made by Fiat, an Italian firm. And in Sweden, Volvos and Saabs account for the four best-selling vehicles."

I attribute this situation to the general dumbing-down that has occurred in the American driving situation. When we build cars that literally "think" for the driver, what do they have to know about cars?

Mosy of todays drivers think of the car as another appliance, like the stove or refrigerator. They don't realize the fact that

it is said that one out of every seven jobs in the U.S. is someway related to the auto industry. But that was yesterdays

news. Now we have foreign-owned companies that build plants here and hire Americans---- but the profits still go offshore!

We need to wake up and realize that the job you save, by buying a car from an American-based company may just be your

own!

Of course that too was before NAFTA started "sucking" jobs outside of our borders. Well when you are out of work and need a car, ask if you can pay for it in yen, or pesos, or some other foreign currency!

Ford has been the number one selling brand in Britain for 30 years now. And like Americans, the Swedish and British still buy tons of cars from foreign-owned companies (Saab/Volvo and MINI/Jaguar/Aston/Land Rover/Bentley/Rolls, respectively).

What if Toyota purchased an old American nameplate... would that make them American?

[CARBIZ]

At the risk of raising the ugly spectre of Free Trade vs. Fair Trade again, it is not unreasonable for a German to buy an Opel or Ford because a lot of BMWs and VWs are sold on this side of the Atlantic. As far as I know, most European countries' markets are wide open (well, except maybe farming, but I digress!). Certainly, any American company is free to buy out a British (Vauxhall) or German company that it wants.

Is that the case with Asian companies? Therefore, perhaps the Europeans are taking a little more pride in themselves and saying NO to unfair trade. If this was only about the car and truck industry, that would be one thing. But Japan Inc. blocks virtually EVERY industry from dealing on their soil, and China is following suit. I don't consider "alliances" and "partnerships" to be the same thing.

To answer the last question, I am willing to cut Chrysler a bit of slack because they have had a long heritage in North America, but technically they are no longer an "American" car company. If Toyota or some other Japanese company bought Ford, for example, then Ford would no longer be an American company. Technically.

[frogger]

I'm Canadian so to me they're all imports. i could care less about the home country of some guy's investment portfolio I may be helping out. Life is too short.

Edited March 31, 2007 by frogger

[FloydHendershot]

Ive never come across anyone so eager to see and not care about the destruction of their own auto industry. It just doesnt make sense to me.

[Sixty8panther]

Exactly as CARBIZ said...

I've got nothing against Benz or BMW, CHevy vs. Ford is

pretty much irrelevant to me too at this point. It's about

stopping the Jaspanese in their quest to win the economic

war with the USA by any means neccessary.

They have been kicking us in the groin, bringing guns &

knives to boxing matches & trowing sand in our eyes

for a couple decades now. Time to wake up USA.

[CARBIZ]

Frogger, if you truly believe that, then we are in deep, deep $h!. It is that kind of selfishness that is sinking all of us in North America. The general attitude and laziness that people suck up the party line, rather than investigating or at least thinking for themselves.

For example, how many people know the truth behind the Datun/Nissan change? Investigate. Whatever happened to Philco, Magnavox, Electrohome and others? This sounds like a stupid example, but when I paid $20 for a toaster at Home Depot a few months ago, I was actually alarmed: I paid the same amount for one 25 years ago, but this one was made in China. HOw many manufacturing jobs do we have to lose before it starts to effect your income and mine?

We may shrug it off and say,"Oh, well, general employment is steady and we have higher paying service sector jobs." That sounds great on paper, but without a viable manufacturing base we lose the ability to build things ourselves. What are the long term ramifications of becoming a nation of paper pushers?

The storm clouds are gathering and there are some very angry, very jealous nations that would do anything to take away what we in the West have spent 100 years building. The only thing that has stood in the path of zealots in the past was our determination and our ability to outspend/outbuild our enemies.

If we lose that, what have we left?

[Cory Wolfe]

*Yawn*

[rkmdogs]

Frogger, if you truly believe that, then we are in deep, deep $h!. It is that kind of selfishness that is sinking all of us in North America. The general attitude and laziness that people suck up the party line, rather than investigating or at least thinking for themselves.....

.... The storm clouds are gathering and there are some very angry, very jealous nations that would do anything to take away what we in the West have spent 100 years building. The only thing that has stood in the path of zealots in the past was our determination and our ability to outspend/outbuild our enemies.

If we lose that, what have we left?

Right on Carbiz!

How many of you know about our military hardware problems caused by outsourcing? One incident----- Austria makes the controls for our "smart bombs" used by our Air Force. In response to a lack of support from the UN about our presence

in Iraq, they refused to deliver XXX number of controls. Consequently, we were short-supplied in our war efforts, due to the Austrian politics.

The British also had them assemble some hand-grenades, which again for the same reason they refused to deliver them.

How many Brits lives have been lost because they did not have the munitions their government out-sourced?

In that same vein, while the F-22 fighter was being developed, it came to pass that Boeing needed to manufacture some

titanium forgings for the landing gear structure, but the US no longer has the capability to make titanium forgings!

They had to out-source them to China!'

As a result, one of our caring congressmen tacked a rider on to a military approprations bill, that 65% of the content of all

purchased military hardware had to be made in the USA! It was fought tooth & nail! Guess who fought it?

Our State department and some of our Joint Chiefs! They claimed that by having to make things here, it would increase

the military budget by 2 Billion dollars-- and we could not piss off our new friends in China! Well, I'm remided of a statement by Mr. Iococoa to the auto-workers at the

Belvidere, Il. plant who went on a wildcat strike for more money. Mr. Iococoa told them he had 2300 jobs at $19.++/hour,

and 0 jobs @ $22.00/hr.!

That holds true when we are looking for strategic parts that our out-source refuse to make, for political reasons.

We are rapidly losing the capability to manufacture, and trading it for secondary service jobs!

How can you service a G.I.'s broken M-16 when you can't get the parts 'cause they are made in XWQDAK-land!!!!

Wake up America!

This car business is not only about who has the prettiest one out there, but is about who has got the job & salary to be able to buy one!

Edited March 31, 2007 by rkmdogs