Nationalize the Auto Industry

[dynasaw]

If we are pouring billions of our money into the auto industry perhaps it's time just to consider nationalizing it. Yes, we'll hear the usual canard about socialism, but we've already headed in that direction with the bail outs for everything else.

It's clear that privatized businesses have been grossly mismanaged for decades--controlled by the unscrupulous few who have reaped the profits while leaving the rest of the populace scrambling to stay afloat. A nationalized auto industry will, hopefully, allow for greater oversight and some measure of the stakes for the American people.

We hated the privatization trend when it was happening across the Atlantic under Margaret Thatcher in the U.K. so why have we been so slow at feeling the same way when privatized, but government subsidized industries have been screwing the tax payer over and over again?

[FreakinDJ]

1. At least allow "Fair Trade Deals"

and not these 1 sided Corporate written pieces of BS

[druidity33]

2. Nationalize the Banks, Insurance Cos, etc... nt

[Donnachaidh]

3. if nationalization leads to GREEN cars, it should be considered

And I don't think the union should be screwed over. The people that got the car industry into this disaster are the owners, shareholders and CEOs.

Give the unions a voice in the decision-making process. They DO have their membership's best interest in mind.

[Kalyke]

4. And the American public for not wanting to purchase green cars.

You forgot to blame them, too, since they demanded trucks and SUVs (and still do - the top selling vehicle in November 2008 was the Ford F-Series - it kicked Toyota's collective butt).

[Phred42]

5. Nonsense - Nationalize OIL, COAL , Banking, the FED, Healthcare payments FIRST.

I don't want the government making cars

[dynasaw]

8. Agreed

Brought this up regarding the auto industry only because it's the current debacle we seem to be facing with thousands of workers at risk.

Regarding oil and other natural resources: Scandinavian North Sea oil BTW belongs to the state its profits are cycled back into the general economy.

The hypocrisy of things in the U.S. is that there is selective nationalization/subsidization where it suits private entities. When its inconvenient there are screams of "socialism." Hell, farmers have been subsidized and given bail outs for over fifty years.

[Phred42]

9. First thing we need to Nationalize is an industry that is MAKING MONEY

:rofl:

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

6. Yes, this worked so well in Britain. n/t

[catnhatnh]

7. To paraphrase Mort Sahl from an interview...

...in the February 1969 issue of Playboy...

"If the US Government built the cars, all new cars would be a grey 1960 Plymouth Valiant"

[Gold Metal Flake]

10. It's been done.

I agree that we should nationalize banks and oil/energy.

[Crabby Appleton]

11. and this

[NNN0LHI]

12. US has been subsidizing farmers for decades

Why not nationalize them?

Don

[TahitiNut]

13. Any corporation that's "too big to fail" should be either nationalized or busted up.

It's that simple. The biggest threat to human life and liberty is the enormous global corporation that's larger than many governments. Corporations are autocracies. The worst joke on their employees is that they're 'meritocracies' ... Kool-Aid for the Disney delusional.