Chickens Coming Home to Roost
I wish I knew how else to phrase it, but I just don't. And I wish I knew which bits of this article to excerpt here, but I just don't. The whole thing is worth excerpting. The whole thing lays out the evidence, abundant to many of us for years (especially those of us who lived through the '70s), and abundantly ignored by so many others. The fact is we have nowhere to point the finger but at ourselves -- our automakers, our representatives, and our greedy consumerist selves.
(And James Howard Kunstler has also been blowing this trumpet, for years, and has been taking shit for it for years. But, Cassandra-like, he's been right all along.)
P.S. Please pardon the unpardonable mixed metaphors.
(And James Howard Kunstler has also been blowing this trumpet, for years, and has been taking shit for it for years. But, Cassandra-like, he's been right all along.)
Yup. Everyone dismisses him as a hyper-pessimistic nut, but I'll tell you what: He sure seems to have been right so far.
Posted by: Toast | July 06, 2008 at 09:08 AM
He's just scarier than s--t.
Detroit has ducked any responsibility it had for many many years. I grew up there and my family worked the big 3. You should have heard the kvetching over seatbelts!! Teh WORLD was coming to an end!!! I have no sympathy. None.
Posted by: jean | July 06, 2008 at 12:06 PM
Jean, I have to say I'm with you. My compassion meter is registering zero over all this (except for people such as the elderly, who really are stuck and depend, for instance, on home health care aides to drive to them). I've been saying for years that another Depression might be in order, and that it would probably help as much as it would hurt. Not a popular opinion, but there ya go.
Posted by: Lisa Simeone | July 06, 2008 at 12:41 PM
Not only seat belts, but healthcare, pensions, unions, CAFE standards, crash tests, exploding gas tanks, unleaded gas, Jesus, they're reactionary. Its everyone's fault but theirs. Its OK though, in short order they'll be making something else or nothing at all.
Posted by: drip | July 06, 2008 at 04:20 PM
drip,
No picking on the unions, healh care and pensions. Those are all good things. The product development, innovation and foresight -- not so good.
Posted by: Sir Charles | July 06, 2008 at 04:40 PM
I fumbled my comment. The manufacturers used the good things as excuses for their idiotic management. They created the bad things with their idiotic management. Too excited by tennis, I suppose.
Posted by: drip | July 07, 2008 at 10:50 AM
drip,
Got you -- I was a little surprised, but Lisa understood what you were saying.
It was indeed damn exciting tennis.
Posted by: Sir Charles | July 10, 2008 at 02:02 PM