I’m not a businessman, so perhaps my opinion is not worth much in this matter. Seems to me that a rational business decision is more in order than an emotional one, FWIW.

Again we find ourselves at a decision point where we either act on principles, or act on emotion. I vote for principles almost every time, but then I have often been accused of being a cold-hearted s.o.b.

My preferred 3-month plan is for the Dems to pass a short-term bailout without Repub support, THEN beat the Dems to death with it in the next 2 years.

When this debate started a few weeks ago I found myself torn by the question of what I would want for my own company if I was in similar straits. At the beginning that seemed like a reasonable place to begin the argument: a position of empathy.

The more I’ve looked at it, though, the more that comparison doesn’t make sense.

I know we shouldn’t look at everything through a political lens, but for all intents and purposes, the Big 3 is almost an extension of the Democrat Party.

I’ve heard estimates that the UAW gave tens of millions to Obama and Democrat candidates, in addition to all sorts of “voluntary” organizing and grassroot support.

Michigan is a Democrat cesspool because of the UAW, and other related unions. That state hasn’t voted for a Republican President in over 20 years, and McCain lost the state by double digits. Both Senators are Democrats, in addition to the Governor.

I say let them eat cake. The best thing that could happen to Republicans is if this racket just died off.

BTW, I have a hard time now buying “Big 3″ American cars because I feel like I’m just putting money back into the Democrat Party’s coffers. I used to religiously only buy ‘Merican Cars, and looked down on others who bought “furin” cars, but I got fed up with the poor quality. The fact that I’m also funding political causes and canidates that I oppose just makes it that much easier to buy Toyota’s and Honda’s made by in America by non-union workers in Red States.

GM is not being denied access to credit market, labor market, capital market, or the automarket.

GM is requesting substantial invasive measures to stay alive in its current form.

Euthanasia cases typically involve pulling out a feeding or breathing tube.

… to this that matters to the United States, tho few in any part of the political spectrum want to acknowledge it.

As Streiff says, “The fact is that GM’s market share will be picked up by the other auto manufacturers strengthening them during these difficult times.”

But it’s not clear that GM’s market share will be picked up by American firms, even if the replacement manufacturers may have plants in the United States.

We have outsourced more and more of our manufacturing domestically to non-US firms, and internationally to China and other nations that do not share our interests. We have become more dependent on them, and have lost more and more of our independent ability to produce planes, vehicles, and … well, you name it.

I’m as exasperated with GM, Ford and Chrysler as anybody, and part of me would love to watch them sink in their own slop.

But there are some bigger issues here. We should look for ways to bring these firms to heel without letting them go under.

Let’s not make the Democrat’s argument for them by arguing that bankruptcy is the end of GM.

Granted, even if it were, it’d be better than a bailout. Better to directly provide social support to the people affected, than try to do it through a company indirectly. We’ve seen with the Paulson plan that what private companies do with money isn’t what the government intended. (Not that I’m complaining about these companies: about time they showed some sense. It’s just that we should quit banging our heads against the wall labeled perverse incentives.)

But bankruptcy allows businesses to restructure. GM would greatly benefit. No concern that future bankruptcy might make warranties worthless. No legacy contracts based more on wealth redistribution than fair labor. No more money to the same bunch of incompetent executives.

GM was responding well to the challenge of Asian imports, back around 2000. I bought a Chevy Cavalier and was very happy with it. All the more so when the extra safety paid off in a front-to-side collision. (I was on the side that got stove in, without as much as a bruise.) But GM’s cost-cutting without price-cutting made getting a new Cavalier out of the question. Given a chance to get out from under the burden of its failed operations, I think GM can prosper again.