On "The Detroit 3"...

Ryan is right.

As painful as it usually is to hear myself utter these words, he is correct (on this topic) 100%. This IS the result of "free trade", and if the US and its government were REALLY in favor of "trade without borders" (which every President since Nixon has advocated)... then they would realize that it is inevitable and irreversible in nature. No amount of money taht we pour into Ford or GM or Chrysler (or any of the lending banks, either) is going to make a difference... they can't compete due to practices THEY initiated and products THEY produced. What good is government loans and grants going to do them now?

I think Ryan misidentified the "gorilla" though... it isn't the fact that they'll fail regardless, it is the fact that AMERICA WILL STILL BUY CARS.

We won't buy Ford F150s, or Dodge Rams, or Buicks, or Escalades... we'll buy Toyotas, and Hyundais, and Kias, and Saabs, and VWs, and Land Rovers because THEY WILL BUY THE DETROIT 3, or what is left of them when they do finally finish the inevitable "Danny Deever" they have managed to fall into. Does anyone think that the factories and plants of Detroit, Lansing, Nashville, Cleveland, and Lincoln will go unused just because the original owner is broke? Please... the bankruptcy courts will DEMAND they sell for something... anything... to anybody. That means American sales, profits and JOBS will be in the hands of foreign companies AGAIN.

These companies fail, and there will be a BIG hit on the economy, no question. Upwards of a million jobs gone, impacting every State in the Union... but SOMENE will need to sell the US cars and trucks, and Japan, Korea, Germany, Italy and Sweden COMBINED don't make enough to vehicles to keep the North American market driving, so SOMEONE is going to have to make cars and trucks HERE in a way that makes money.

And I guaranty you someone WILL. It just won't be Ford, GM or Chrysler.