Don't Blame Japan, O.C. Welch. Blame Yourself.
The tenuous fate of America's Big Three auto corporations has everybody on edge, and people are fightin' mad: Dems feel like the Republicans failed them on the now-dead auto bailout, the Unions feel like they are being unfairly attacked, the hundreds of thousands of workers employed in the auto industry are nauseous thinking about the holidays, and nobody has figured out how to make the situation better.
So what's a person to do? Buy American? That's a complicated task, especially when it comes to cars, which are now such a product of globalization that even Fords and GMs and Chevys are always partly constructed from foreign parts. Stop buying altogether? Not recommended by Warren Buffett. What about... we just kick the dog? That's always the easiest thing to do, and seems to be, more times than not, the good ol' American way.
Car dealer O.C. Welsh seems to take some comfort in taking a toe to the pup--he released five radio ads last week attacking patriots for buying Japanese cars.
He's pretty durned specific that it's the Japs' faults (not the Germans... nor the Swedes) for ruining the American auto industry. How they happen to be so faulty, it's hard for me to decide--perhaps it's in designing cars that are fuel-efficient, long-lasting, and aesthetically pleasing BEFORE going nearly bankrupt and asking for federal aid ("Oh totally, Congress, it's 2008! We in Detroit are totally gonna look into this, like, eco thing now, swear!"). Perhaps it's for manufacturing cars in America and employing hundreds of thousands of American workers!
Welsh maybe says it best: ""All those cars are rice ready. They're not road ready." Uh, what? First of all, did somebody say "rice?" Where? Let's drive and get some in a fuel-efficient imported car! Second of all, are we really going to try and lie to ourselves by saying that American cars are better equipped for the road, and that Japanese cars are not? That's just sad. We can't go there; we'll feel so stupid.
If there's one thing Welsh should be blaming his lackluster car sales on--if not inevitable economic cycles, poor corporate management, and his own bad choice of career--it's the fact that he's peddling shitty cars. And he can hate on the slant-eyes all he wants, but for the time being, that fact isn't going to change.
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When I first started out in the world of driving, I bought a FORD... I didn't realize at the time that FORD meant Fix Or Repair Daily.
Then I bought a Korean car... and then another Korean car... cheap, fuel efficient, no problems...
Expect no less from South Carolina... ah, the South, at least they provide something to laught at... they still think they're living in the Confederate States of America.
Just to add a little side note to my previous post, i live in Janesville Wisconsin.
http://www.channel3000.com/news/18271601/detail.html
so before anyone points out the ramifications the Big 3 has on our withering economic condition, id just like you to know that i'm living it.... and still buying Honda.
I don't understand why anyone should "buy American" if American car manufacturers don't produce a car that meets current expectations of consumers. The SUV fad is DEAD. I see Automotive manufacturing a lot like i see the fashion industry. Clothing goes in and out of style, everyone knows that, even those who don't follow fashion know that. Right now, American car manufacturers are making cars that don't appeal to most Americans... not to mention the economic status of most two-car, two-income families. So why would we buy them? Would you dress all "Saturday Night Fever" if thats all that American clothing manufacturers (if there even are any) currently made? I doubt it.
In my recent experience, foreign automakers produce a product that is often safer, more fuel-efficient, cheaper, longer-lasting, and more reliable. These things are the factors that MOST people weigh when buying a new car, and those of us who have enough money to not care about these factors become more cautious of them in harsh economic times.
I won't be replacing my 04' Honda Civic any time soon, and when i do i will take the factors listed above into account. If the Big 3 even exists at that future date, ill consider buying American, but only if buying American meets my high expectations as a consumer. I won't sacrifice safety, environmental friendliness, or reliability just to buy a car that is partially constructed of American parts and you shouldn't either.
Guess your friends arn't buying outside of America either,Well Golleee bet you don't understand that either Bubba, are you people living in a deep hole and have no clue what is going on around you? Your 04 Honda should last you into 1010 but if you can't afford a car stick with Honda your choice isn't a bad one, The big three have been around for a hundred years ,well GM 1908 and Honda 50 maybe and the backbone of America was GM Ford and Chrysler . Then get rid of them and see America will have no back bone,that leaves a sack of unsupported crap,and when you add up what few manufacturing jobs left in America your skills will be nothing but eat sleep and pick up your government cheque for a few years .Then when it is gone you eat what you can find under some bridge. Wake UP!
Yeah, that dude needs to read up on the importance of rice to the US economy. It's quite a valuable commodity.
I can't believe someone thinks it's a good idea to sell cars with a hate message. And the radio stations who accept his hate speech should be driven off the air, too.
WELL (hiccup) ILL BE YA HUCKLEBERRY!!!!
Everyone should work as a car salesperson for a month or two, then follow that by working at a mall retail store during Christmas. If, after that, you still have a favorable opinion of your species, then you should check yourself into rehab or a mental institution for being completely delusional and out of touch with reality.
Rice, really?
http://jcwinnie.biz/wordpress/?p=808
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/09/17/100259542/index.htm
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=grass-makes-better-ethanol-than-corn
Jatropha or switchgrass, maybe, but RICE?? He seems confused.
Seriously, if O. C. Welsh wants to know the where to really lay the blame, it's "President" George Walker Bush, who suppressed James Hansen's and other scientists' valid, methodologically correct and peer-reviewed research establishing the real dangers of global warming. George Walker Bush also appointed cronies who maliciously, deliberately and irresponsibly neglected to prosecute Exxon's propaganda campaign, which fraudulently claimed legitimate professional doubt as to global warming. It was fraud, and it is not by chance that Exxon-Mobil ended that effort so soon before Barack Obama is inaugurated President. While the Big Three didn't exactly lobby Congress for stricter environmental laws, the American people hardly did either, so I feel I have to give Ford and General Motors a pass -- not an "A" or even a "B" but I can't fail them without failing myself and everybody else.
http://reedyoung.blogspot.com/2008/12/republicans-want-depression.html
Cerberus/Chrysler is a different story. We should buyout, not bailout Chrysler.
Oh, and everybody whose taxes were cut by George Walker Bush AND works for a bailed out company, must work for $0 net, not $1 salary plus millions of non-salary compensation until their debts are repaid. How do you like those apples?
Global warming has nothing to do with anything. This issue has to do with companies having an unsustainable business model, particularly GM, because of pension and health car costs that are too high relative to the profit margins they have on the total number of vehicles they sell.
I would argue that. If we had import restrictions on Japanese products, if American CEO's salary was in line with all other countries, the profitability would be there. It's not the retiree pension/health issues alone. If Japan and other importers would allow our products into their countries on a par with what we allow, the trade imbalance would come closer to parity. But the deck is stacked against us and our government refuses to level the playing field. Bottom line -- we are SO f*cked!
The real irony is that the O.C. Welch (your editors should correct your headline's typo) dealerships are actually in a section of South Carolina that is historically important for growing cash crops of rice. Many of us locals are puzzled why he thinks being "rice-ready" would be a bad thing, when "Carolina Gold" was what paid the bills for the first couple hundred years.
I have called his Hardeeville dealership, and explained to his salespeople that the "New Car Smell" is actually toxic outgassing of VOCs. I assured them that I would never set foot on any of his lots.
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