And General Motors is alive.

[Charles]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lvl5Gan69Wo

Any thoughts?

Chas

[bobabode]

http://www.vincewadeusa.com/?p=244

He seems to be a reasonable investigative reporter, the above link will take you to his bio.

As to the sloganeering going on ala "OBL is dead GM is alive" it's a bit catchy but politicking as usual. This type of stuff comes along every election cycle, it's no big deal and is to be expected.

President Bush standing on the deck of that U.S. carrier with a huge banner proclaiming "Mission Accomplished!" when that one obviously was an empty statement during that election cycle was the same type of politicking. I think we can understand that it's simply pandering to an electorate that has the attention span measured in the minutes allotted to them by the advertisers to run to the fridge for a cold one or to the head to get rid of the last cold one.

'Tis a cynical viewpoint to be sure but dead on the money these days. No one has the time for serious consideration of the issues simply because we are bombarded with so many half truths, innuendo and bald faced lies that we have become numb to it.

The latest craze is to "pivot" which to me is the same old tired debate tactic of changing the subject when someones cause or point is being turned back upon itself. We all use it as an escape mechanism, so what. Nothing new under the sun in itself.

Do cold snakes care whether the gophers have their heads blown off first?
Probably not after all they're easier to catch, right?

[CarlV]

Not much new really, well except it used to be Jeeps and Buicks were the hot ticket. VW too, of course.
It would be interesting to hear the complete un-edited seems how it is a political ad of sorts.

Type Ford in you tube and Rupert's WSJ boyz just put up this Ford thing.
Published on Apr 20, 2012 by WSJDigitalNetwork
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7sMR0j3CQM
Ford said it will build a $760 million factory in eastern China as part of a plan to double its production capacity there by 2015, marking the motor-vehicle maker's largest industrial expansion in at least 50 years. In what it calls its largest industrial expansion in at least 50 years, Ford is adding plants and dealerships in Asia, where it lags behind its chief rivals in sales and production capacity. When the expansion is complete in 2015, the Dearborn, Mich., company will be capable of building 1.2 million passenger cars a year in China—nearly half the number it built last year in North America.
Bloomberg's:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPWBNzpQIvE

They all need to sell cars to stay alive.

Bottom line? Political infomercials are a sign of the times it seems. I think it is the tip of the iceberg with all the money PAC's can spend without any real accountability. Sure beats the a lot of the smear refuse put out there even though it comes off the same roll of toilet paper.

Carl

[wgrr]

I am glad that GM is finally getting to move into the Chinese auto market. For years the big three were shut out of the Chinese market by huge tariffs on imported cars. Making GM cars over there makes as much sense as Mercedes, BMW, Toyota, and others making cars in the US.

I hope GM moves into the far East and Middle East more.

The big three should have been working more on world market share, and less on designing Hummers, Suburbans, Yukon Denali's, Ford Explorers, Navigators, all the non-work luxury trucks that get 10 mpg, and etc... etc... in the last decade.

As far as the claim 70% of GM vehicles are made outside of the US is probably true, but is a disingenuous statement.

The manufacturing of auto parts has been an international affair for many years. GM parts come from all over the world. This is not unique to GM. My Mercedes 79 300SD has parts all over it stamped made in the USA.

I recently rebuilt the entire suspension, brakes, transaxels, and steering. The factory parts that were manufactured, when the car was a new model, were from all over the world. Germany (of course), the US, Italy, France, and others. Heck the steel wires used to build the vaunted French Michelin radial tires is manufactured in Rogers, AR. It is about six miles from Wal-Marts headquarters in Bentonville, AR.

Nothing wrong with global markets.

[BlueStreak]

I concur with the three previous posts.

[bobabode]

Originally Posted by wgrr

Nothing wrong with global markets.

I agree. There are a fair amount of stockholders in GM that are Americans that will reap dividends from the expansion into the Sino market. After all we need something to balance the trade deficit from Smart Phones, Shuguang Vacumm tubes, Dollar Stores and Harbor Freight- etc.

I would rather see GM et al making cars there as opposed to Fiat, Volvo and so on.

[Rex E.]

A very capitalist move in a communist (?) country.

What "ism" should we use to refer to the Chinese these days?

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by Rex E.

A very capitalist move in a communist (?) country.

What "ism" should we use to refer to the Chinese these days?

Capunism?

It is interesting, and a little disconcerting, to watch free enterprise flourish under a Communist umbrella. And, it's not just China. Interesting things are taking place in Vietnam as well. It raises some intriguing questions.

[Rex E.]

It sure does. I must admit it's had me confused for a while now.

[bobabode]

Originally Posted by Rex E.

It sure does. I must admit it's had me confused for a while now.

....mayhaps Nixon with his ping pong diplomacy had something? Personally anything comin' out of Nixon and his love of McCarthyism is tainted in my book.
Certainly those guys did more damage to respect for the office of the President than any who had come before or have since.