2 words....Labor Union

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4815646.stm - GM markes a 10.2B dollar loss for 2005

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4639034.stm - Ford closes 14 plants, cuts 30,000 jobs


Take all this in to account: higher labor rates + labor unions + higher manufacturing costs + higher EPA/Government regulations = hard times for business.

My point being all these peeps that run around asking, "why can't the US build a quality car?" Well, with all the above "costs" a quality US car would start in the high 50K's, so to compete you have to cut somewhere and since you can't bypass the Government...you cut the product. Why? Because you can always recall and fix the product. IMO this is why US cars have such reliability issues along with build quality problems.

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"promote the general welfare, not provide the general welfare"

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.