I bought a Toyota Echo two years ago and in that time I have not once had to do anything other than get the oil changed. It runs well, is great on gas, has incredible amount of interior space and looks decent. The other car I was looking at at the time was the Dodge Caliber, which I decided against simply because it was a Dodge. I liked everything about the car but I couldn't get past the brand name. I knew Toyotas worked well and rode well so I decided to stay with what I knew. A friend of mine bought a caliber and liked it well enough, but gas mileage isn't nearly as good as mine and he's had to take it in three times in the last year and a half for minor, but annoying repairs.

The big three have been losing market share for over three decades and instead of trying to make a better, more reliable car so that people like me can justify the purchase they try to sell me on cool styling and patriotism.

The best thing Americans and Canadians can do for those three companies is to stop buying their cars until they focus on getting their quality up to the standards set by other automakers and when that happens then they can outcompete based on being able to sell the cool styling and the patriotism deal.

Or, to put it more succintly: Maybe they can get their heads out their asses and build a better product. If they do that I might even buy one.

If the car companies cannot compete or survive, let them fail.

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I'll tell that to the people in the auto parts division of the company* I work for who are getting laid off this Friday because Ford and GM aren't buying as many parts.

It's easy to make comments like that when it isn't your life that's being turned upside down.

*Hitachi Metals Automotive Components. A sister company to Ward Manufacturing where I work but all part of the same union.

I think this is how I feel about the whole thing too.  We can be armchair world leaders or philosophers and make a quick decision about how the country and world would improve by making major changes, but realistically we need to be concerned about individual citizens.  I think a bail-out with lots of conditions is the best compromise for the auto industry.

I'm sure the employees at typewriter companies, mimeograph companies, milk and ice delivery services, etc. felt the same way.  Some industries just falter.  Should we not have computers, scanners/copiers and freezers because it took away someone's job?  Of course not.  Industries rise and fall and new ones take their place. 

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I think it's safe to say that the big 3 and the related industries that provide products to them employ a lot more than all the other industries above combined did.

Not everyone comes out the other side of a job loss smelling like roses, Scott. You keep using your particular case as if all those people that are going to be out of jobs are as smart as you are. As if they don't have families that need supporting. They're not you and the situation isn't the same for everyone.

I'm glad things worked out so well for you. But do you really think in today's economy they can just jump into another job that pays as well or has comparable benefits? Can a man with a family to support really afford to go to college without some way to support them?