An American Heartbreak
Tom Brokaw famously called my generation the greatest. I'll accept the title for those of us still around, but only for the years preceding 1945. I'm not so sure we weren't too content with ourselves post-World War II. We began to believe our press as it were -- something to the effect that we were God's gift to the planet, other nations and all its peoples. The gratitude for the civil rights and liberties so hard won gave way and and "More!" became our need and, over time, our obsession.
I don't mean to do a treatise here. I'd just put down the morning papers and can't stop thinking about what's going on with our car companies, and it just about breaks the heart of this member of Brokaw's Greatest Generation. I would have no way of overstating how deep and profound was our love for the American motor car and what a significant part it played in the now tossed around phrase, "The American Dream," then an all but holy right of passage. American families were told in hushed tones by banks and mortgage and insurance companies, that this was "The second most important check you will ever write," the first being for a home, of course. And that is what American families felt as they waxed and polished and hosed down their vehicles on the weekends of their long romance with the American Motor Car.
I spoke of this to President George H.W. Bush in 1989 when I was asked if I had anything to suggest to him as he assumed the presidency. When I say today's news just about breaks the heart of this member of my generation, this video might help the understanding of that:
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Seriously, I know Brokaw said it, but do you guys have any idea how you sound when you refer to yourselves as "The Greatest Generation"?
The "Me" Generation seems more apt, but the funny thing is, they both mean the same thing.
If your generation was so Great, I have to ask, why is the whole f-ing world on fire?
Oh, SNAP. And you have to admit, when they are gone we can finally put the gay marriage issue to rest and legalize marijuana.
You're confusing the generations. Brokaw's Greatest Generation are those that fought and won WWII. If you look at the ages of the current players in finance and business you'll discover they were children if even born during that time. The "Me" generation are the baby boomers and their offspring.
It is a shame, but the car companies took that love for granted and did not stay connected to the public. They started cutting corners. Now, they have a true 2nd chance. Hopefully they will take advantage of it.
Back in 1989, I bought a fuel-efficient, affordable, and well-built Toyota Corolla for $8989. I got a lot of grief from coworkers of nationalistic tendencies for having purchased a "foreign car." Over the years, one by one, they all paid through the nose for repairs, and to a man replaced their cars before they hit 100K miles. Meanwhile, my car had 200K miles and was still going strong in 2003.
My dad handed down a 2002 Ford Explorer to me in 2005 -- 3 years old, with 50K miles on it. That "free" car has cost me more than $1000 extra in gas, and $4000 in repairs, despite my having the best extended warranty package that Ford offered. Their customer service was anything but, their dealership overcharged me, and all I got was arguments, "that's not covered," and expensive charges. If I had taken the car elsewhere, I'd have voided my (useless) extended warranty.
Today, even "American" cars aren't built in America, whereas many of the "foreign-made" cars (Honda, Toyota, etc.) are. So don't ask me to "buy American" out of pity -- it's my wallet that has taken a hit from this inferior, defect-prone, unreliable gas-hog.
In listening to Wagner, the longstanding CEO of GM, until he was retired, it became clear that he didn't have the foggiest notion what was going on in this country, and how his company should respond to it. ... after all, wasn't Chevy as solid as American Pie, and would be around forever, no matter what. They were convinced that Americans wanted to buy big, expensive gas hogs, and that's what they built... never mind about greenhouse gases, and the economy going south. etc. And their latest flash of brilliancy is to bring back the camaro, and that will resurrect them????? Ya mean to tell me that there are enough folks in the USA who will actually buy the camaro, and that would "save" the company! I don't think so. They still don't get it. It shouldn't be necessary for the US government to step in and take over this company... all they had to do was to use common sense. But they steadfastly refused this approach, they refused even to listen, because they had an inflated sense of their worth and value. And it just wasn't there.
Why are the foreign competitors cars still doing well in America? I'm just asking.
They aren't. Toyota lost second place to Ford last month.
Guess we didn't do that. Oh well bad management and unions destroyed GM. Hello bankruptcy. Too bad for the bluecollar worker though.
I shed no tears for the U.S. auto industry - or "highway lobby" as it used to be known. For three decades now, and more, they have stonewalled every attempt to bring about greater efficiency and safety in the design of their products. Instead, they spent billions advertising their "innovation" and "forward thinking" (remember all those ultra-glamorous, glossy ads?) while added nothing but bells, whistles, and more tonnage to the highway fleet.
So now we're in a crisis, both financial and environmental, that no one needed a crystal ball to predict, and guess what - they're still crying like babies instead of rolling up their sleeves & doing what needs to be done!
Take GM for instance. Please!
No, seriously, it's new plan is to sell light, environmen
Interesting how words spoken to a Republican President, just coming into office, can apply to another President, this time a Democratic one today. To be fair though, I think President Obama has the tools to go beyond that "Short Term" mindset that Lear talked about. However, let's wait and see on that.
At least President Obama listens, and he gets the total picture.
I hope you're right.
I would worry about financial types handling issues that deal with manufacturing if I were you. Countries that are being successful have strong Ministries of Industry and industrial policies which include both support and protection. We have an open economy and still think the free market works (it does for the guys that are closed).
Thanks for many years of finding the funny side of our foibles, Mr. Lear. Any chance you might do a series on overpaid bankers or managers?
Lear is right. Obama is not leading by example. Evidenced in the $300,000/car Presidential Cadillac limo fleet. He could've easily demanded an armored electric or more fuel efficient hybrid fleet. Sure, it's diesel but a turbo-V8 that gets a very poor 8 m.p.g. is so hypocritical. He's definitely not leading by example.
Nixon Administration - 1972 Continental model. 460 cubic inch (7.5 liter) V-8 engine
Bush Sr. Administration, 1989 modified Lincoln Town Car. 460 Cu. in. EFI V-8 engine
Clinton Administration, 454 cubic inch (7.4 liter) Chevrolet V-8 engine.
Obama Administration 6.6L Duramax turbo-diesel V-8 engine.
Maybe you need a V-8 to run away from terrorizers, where there might be a less of a chance for a speedy escape with a Prius. Don't know how fast a souped up electric vehicle can accelerate or go, maybe I'm being ignorant. If he was a "normal" American that was trying to cruise to and from work on the highway, maybe.
That being said, I have no doubt that Prez 50 will have a much more environment friendly vehicle that can run away.
If she doesn't by then, then I am afraid we'd already be doomed anyway.
Well, it's not like he drives it to and from work everyday. And these are different times. Obama himself didn't want the "beast", but the secret service are the ones who felt it was necessary to keep him safe. You have to remember, that the car travels abroad w/ him, and he uses it to drive from Air Force one to meet w/ foreign leaders on their soil. So it has to be pretty impenetrable.
WoW ~ Norman Lear !
Thank You ~ for all the Years of Laughs . . .
~
Yes it is heartbreaking that greed took out our auto industry. They didn't LISTEN.
Television networks are next.
They can only feed us crap so long and we will turn on them.
Because of you and a few others, we know the difference.
Thank You Mr. Lear.
Good point and I, for one, agree.
I thiink the way to marginalize and hopefully get rid of Beck, O'Reilly, Hannity, Limbaugh, Savage, etc. is for the late night talk show hosts to ridicule one them during their opening monolgue each night. Keep it up every night for a year. Just a well placed zinger from one of these guys each night. Stewart and Colbert can't do it. They are already obvious opponents of these simpletons. But if Conan, Letterman, Ferguson and company can slip one joke in each night regarding these clowns I believe it will lead to an erosion of their credibility. The most effective way to neutralize these guys is to make fun of them. Then even their supporters get embarrassed.
Norman Lear,
No Heart Brakes here. Amerian car makers were not the "American Dreams" but American nightmare. The automobile and highway lobbies robbed the American people of their decent and enjoyable lifestyles by creating the "suburbs", forcing the people to abandon magnificent city life (which continue in the rest of the world) and live far away so they would need cars and highways to go to work and become isolated. The result has been isolation of grandparents and grandchildren who do not live with or close to them, children who are pushed out of the house at age 18 to go and take care of themselves, and neighbors who never get to know their neighbors except in may be once-a-year shallow and meaningless neighborhood meetings. What a tragic lifestyle.
+1
The same grunts and groans the dinosaurs made towards the end...
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