Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/12/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Whatever. A couple of quotes from The Economist (Dec. 6th issue, p. 69): "Against the sombre backdrop of a 37% drop in November sales (compared to a year earlier) for the industry as a whole, GM's sales fell by 41% and Chrysler's by 47%. Only Ford bucked the trend slightly with a fall of 31%-the same as Honda and less than Toyota." (the numbers are for the US market) Further on: "Although Ford is asking the government for a $9 billion line of credit, it still hopes not to need it. Its biggest fear is being dragged down if either of its rivals fails. Ford also looks in better shape than the other two, with a well-advanced strategy for cutting costs and bringing its highly rated European models to North America." Sure enough, the "emergency" package decided by the US government the other day is only for GM and Chrysler: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7793108.stm Etc. With all due respect, I find The Economist or the BBC a more credible source than you, your love of cars notwithstanding. And what I see on the streets of Spain and elsewhere in Europe bears out the above statements. Ford is doing OK; GM and Chrysler simply don't exist. Given their global scale of operations, the US market is not enough for them to survive--and their market share is falling there too. Nathan Nathan Wajsman Alicante, Spain http://www.frozenlight.eu http://www.greatpix.eu http://www.nathanfoto.com Books: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/search?search=wajsman&x=0&y=0 PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws Blog: http://www.fotocycle.dk/blog On Dec 20, 2008, at 6:45 PM, Seth Rosner wrote: > Nathan, if it were patriotism I would not have avoided American cars > for over 40 years. Your generalizations are charming: 'GM and > Chrysler are in the dumps because they build too many cars that > nobody wants to buy' - but millions of people are buying GM and > Chrysler cars; 'Ford is the only one that actually makes cars that > people want to buy' - Ford sells fewer cars in U.S. than GM and - > the largest selling 'foreign car in China? Buick. > > You simply don't know the facts. All three companies suffer today > from having created over a period of 25 or more years reputations > for building mediocre cars. That takes time to overcome. > > Seth > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nathan Wajsman" <photo@frozenlight.eu > > > To: "Leica Users Group" <lug@leica-users.org> > Sent: Saturday, December 20, 2008 12:22 PM > Subject: Re: [Leica] un-believable - now off-topic and long-ish > > >> Sorry Seth, but I am afraid your patriotism may have got the better >> of >> you. GM and Chrysler are in the dumps because they build too many >> cars >> that nobody wants to buy. You may like your Cadillacs but there >> simply >> are not enough of you either in the US or elsewhere. Of the big 3 (or >> 2 1/2 by now), Ford is the only one that actually makes cars that >> people want to buy. >> >> And the financial crisis did NOT cause their problems, it merely >> exposed them. Even without the crisis, GM and Chrysler in particular >> were companies in terminal decline. The US taxpayer bailout will >> buy a >> few additional months, but it is the height of obscenity. >> >> Nathan >> >> Nathan Wajsman >> Alicante, Spain >> http://www.frozenlight.eu >> http://www.greatpix.eu >> http://www.nathanfoto.com >> >> Books: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/search?search=wajsman&x=0&y=0 >> PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws >> Blog: http://www.fotocycle.dk/blog >> >> >> >> On Dec 20, 2008, at 5:44 PM, Seth Rosner wrote: >> >>> >>> Just as extraordinary for GM to have turned itself around as they >>> have. I've gotten sick to my stomach at the trashing of GM and Ford >>> that the grotesquely uninformed Senators and media geniuses have >>> carried out during the last month. Both Companies have already >>> transformed themselves (I can't speak about Chrysler as I do not >>> know their products) and have been caught in the economic >>> catastrophe caused by the criminals who have run the banks and >>> investment banks and come close to destroying the world economy. End >>> of rant. >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com > Version: 8.0.176 / Virus Database: 270.9.19/1857 - Release Date: > 12/19/2008 10:09 AM > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information