Steve Benson for July 26, 2013

Let’s see…..use ignorant right wing meme to explain a complex problem that took about 50 years to happen. Tea brains (a term used in its loosest definition) are happy.

Yes, equal outcomes are a Marxist fantasy that will never be fulfilled. Capitalism is the way to go!

Always enjoy your posts. This one is special. Thanks.

When Jap cars began to appear in the worker’s parking lot, the corporation should have taken note.

The population went from 2 million to about 600,000.

Obviously the tax revenue left with those people looking for work when imports were eating the auto industry’s lunch.

Why? Because they continued to make cars Americans didn’t want. Thankfully the auto industry has learned that lesson but, too late for Detroit.

Yeah, unions caused all of this…

And have you considered the crooks and incompetent management? And the car companies wouldn’t have gone where they did if management had paid attention to the market. Don’t blame it on the workers, they didn’t get to make the decisions and don’t now that the “dictator” Orr is in town.

AMEN to that.

Go back under your rock!! Elitist

Referring very narrowly to the phrase “equality in America”: This is what sloppy thinking gets you. The equality referred to in the Constitution and which is part of our legal structure is equal application of laws to all classes and all persons, and all that that provides. (Not saying that we achieve that; just that that’s what is meant.)Sloppy / wishful thinking has extrapolated that to mean equal everything for everyone. That’s not even reasonable, but is a useful fulcrum for leveraging discontent and further unreasonableness.

One of the greatest causes of cities lost income is the competition between cities and states for the little bit of manufacturing not outsourced to other countries. Give tax breaks to any who move to your area and to H___ with where they come from.

By the way, the Edsel was a very good car.

Detroit is another reminder of the danger of excessive government debt. It leads to bankruptcy.

It does not take a genius to figure out how a government gets to that point. The government begins spending more than what it is bringing in with taxes. To cover the difference, it borrows the money. As the process continues, year after year, the amount of debt it owes continues to increase.

Finally, the government gets to the point where its tax revenues are insufficient to cover its bills and pay the interest on its debt. Creditors are unwilling to lend any more money. Unable to pay its bills in a timely fashion, the only recourse is bankruptcy.

That’s what happened to Detroit. It’s also what happened to Greece.

Henry Ford first said he should pay his workers enough for them to be able to buy what they built, then he later called in the U.S. Army to break a strike when his profit margin shrank.

I’m not a great fan of UAW in all cases over time, like in the ’60’s when they did push for salaries that WERE far above local economy levels, BUT!! the unions did NOT automate all the factories, ship the jobs overseas, and move production to Canada and Mexico, while getting “the government” (read “Bush”) to change labeling so that Canada and Mexico became “North American content” instead of “made in USA”.

Considering “unions” now represent less than 8% of the labor force, isn’t it time to consider who’s stomping on the 92% as regulations and restraints have been removed????

Too bad you didn’t work in the auto industry too. Talk about greedy.

ionizer: just a minor point, I don’t care much for parts of NAFTA either, but you did notice more Republicans than Democrats DID vote for it?

As I’m pretty sure you know, and would agree, WAY too many bills are overly large, stuffed with pork, and hide many sins beneath what may appear a very pretty blanket to sell the public.

OH, yes, p.s., the change in REGULATIONS that allowed them to list “North American Content” to hide the fact stuff wasn’t made in the U.S., WAS under “W”, and that was my point.

Not that simple, Steve…despite the desperate attempt at cheap propaganda.

You don’t educate. You pontificate. Big difference.

Really? Cars cost over $200,000 now?.They do! ,,,, If you buy a Rolls like antiquetracman………..

“lets see…..the auto workers union…get laid off and draw 90% of your pay for two years while NOT working…doesn’t look like that and other outrageous union benefits helped Detroit. That’s why autos cost more than many houses!”I’m sure that you believe that is true, just like you believe this is a fine home.

Interesting to see the predictable union-bashing here. After all, the “unions caused this” meme has been repeated endlessly ad nauseam (with serious, scrunched up faces reporting it) on Faux Noise since Detroit declared bankruptcy. So the Church of Murdoch devotees dutifully repeat it.

Simple minded ant-union logic: Detroit= auto industry, auto industry= unions. Since Detroit went bankrupt, therefore it must be the union’s fault (can’t be bad city management or economy, can it? Can’t be city promising pensions and borrowing against them, can it?).

Perhaps one should ask them to investigate how the auto industry in Germany is doing. Unions there are actually an institution and are much stronger than they ever have been in the US. Management actually WORKS with them and makes sure pensions are responsibly covered. Higher standard of living, stronger middle class, public/private healthcare for all that actually WORKS. It’s not rocket science, folks.