whyroots

 
 

Auto industry CEOs have been rightly ridiculed by Congress, the Daily Show, and everyone in between for their absurd detachment from reality. 

A GM spokesman said the company is ‘very sensitive’ to ‘the symbolic issue of people showing up in Washington in corporate jets’.  In fact, it is so sensitive to the irony of these failing businessmen wasting money and fuel on excessive luxury in order to beg for taxpayer money to save the ships they helped to sink, that they went ahead and sent them to Washington in corporate jets.  After everyone complained that this ‘symbol’ is just too horrible to bear, GM graciously celebrated that they have cut 2 of their 5 jets.

I hope the government doesn’t bail out the auto industry – or if it does, only under the conditions that it completely transform its objectives.  I would only support the idea of a green nationalized auto industry.  The American auto industry has completely failed to adapt to a changing market and they don’t deserve to be in charge of how their loans are spent.

But what really pisses me off is this spokesman’s use of the word ‘symbolic’.  Taking the jets to ask for a bailout is not a symbol of hypocrisy; it is ACTUAL HYPOCRISY.  The jets are not a symbol of the absurd values of the upper echelon of corporate America; they are a manifestation of it.  The symbolism here is the vow to cut 2 of the 5 jets – a disingenuous token of apology.  'Please take this action as a symbol of our remorse.'

By referring to the jets as a symbol, they reveal how disconnected from reality they truly are.  As if their actions aren't corrupt, just perceived as corrupt.  The idea that the bottom line of the company can only be calculated after all the corporate extravagances are taken care of is bad business to say the least.  To take care of these ‘needs’ at the expense of worker salaries, and then beg for money for the sake of the entire economy is narcissistic to the point of psycopathy.

-- Jacob Levine

 


Comments

Daniela Perdomo

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 12:53:20

Jacob, I agree with you completely. In fact, I just watched a re-run of the "Daily Show" you referred to, and Stewart himself says that bringing to light the private jet issue is a waste of Congress' time, taking away from the real issue (the failing auto industry)... but for once, I disagree. I, like you, believe the use of corporate private jets is a manifestation of what took the U.S. auto industry to the depths of where it is today... an ignorance of the environmental issues/pressures at hand, and utter corporate self-satisfaction.

As a driver of a Japanese green vehicle, I promise I would never consider buying a non-green vehicle again, or really any vehicle that is not as well-made as the one I have now. The U.S. auto industry has to move in that direction and before we give them any money -- and I do believe we have to give them money, after all they employ hundreds of thousands of Americans directly, and millions more indirectly -- the have to commit themselves to that immediately.

 

Jacob Levine

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 14:01:01

Yeah, I was thinking today about how it wasn't quite right to say I hope the auto industry doesn't get the money it needs. Obviously, the best-case scenario would be if a deal can be worked out where the industry accepts mandatory green initiatives as conditions for the money. In that sense, the current crisis is a remarkable opportunity to redirect the fate of transportation in America. I'm not particularly hopeful this will be realized. If the auto makers get money without being forced to restructure, I have to say I agree with Mitt Romney that this money will be wasted and those workers will end up unemployed anyways.

 



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