I frequently read the musings and opinions of conservative columnist George Will. The Buffalo News runs his writings weekly, and I find him an interesting, if not overly erudite writer and thinker.
Actually, most of the time, I find him a bit hard to understand. I’d almost swear he uses big words and complexities for the mere sake of doing so…and showing the world how smart he is. But his latest piece “Have We Got a Deal for You” regarding the current state of General Motors is a well-written and thought-provoking work.
At the outset of the government’s intervention into GM and the automotive industry, did I not pose the question, would the government really make GM profitable, or would it become another Amtrak? By Amtrak, I mean a government-subsidized loss leader. Will poses the very same question, along with referencing Amtrak as a toy train set of the government. Perhaps great minds think alike?
A few other good points:
· The Obama administration isn’t interested in running GM, as they’ve reiterated numerous times. They just ousted the CEO and are muscling GM into building cute, green cars with unprecedented CAFÉ standards.
· Government meddling in GM will harm the one American automaker that seemed to be doing things right as of late (and I know this has not always been the case): Ford.
· I learned that E85 (ethanol) fuel raised corn prices to a point that led to protests in tortilla-consuming Mexico.
· Finally, Will sees Government Motors as nothing more than a political move to keep the Democrats in the good graces of the UAW and all the electoral votes in America’s industrial heartland.
So what’s my purpose in restating George’s op-ed? I found it a thought provoking and fascinating reflection on the historical times our nation’s automakers face. Good call, George…good call.
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