I love my Toyota Tacoma pickup. Oh the guilt I felt the day I bought that beautiful, used, jet-black truck from the Toyota dealership. A feeling of great weakness and disloyalty washed over me as I wrote a check for the Japanese vehicle instead of a Chevy S10 or Ford Ranger. The sticker on the window that read “80% American” gave me some measure of comfort yet the lingering 20% haunted me like my lost Lenore. The salesman, a retired United States Marine, also helped me to convince myself that I had not made an unpatriotic decision. Yet no matter how hard I tried, I could not shake the guilt of purchasing a foreign car. ‘Buy American’ had been beaten into my head all my life and I was unable to counter the years of indoctrination that told me I had a patriotic duty to buy POS vehicles made by overpaid workers from poorly run companies.
No more.
That’s right, no more. I will never again look on my favorite toy with a touch of slight or disdain. I will never again carry the guilt of some ‘poor’ worker who makes a meager $70 per hour to build substandard cars. I will never, ever, again buy an American car.
Not so long as the United Auto Workers Union and incompetent executives are running the show at GM, Ford, and Chrysler while corrupt politicians provide the captial. The Big Three are a plight on the US economy and they represent all that is bad about the way business is done in America.
First let’s look at the Executives. You know, the guys who showed up in how many different private jets to tell Congress how broke they were. The same guys who drove stock values into the toilet and then gave themselves a $10 million bonus that says “keep up the bad work.” The same guys who are so inept and so weak that the UAW tears them a new one in negotiations resulting in bloated payrolls and benefits packages that are bound to bankrupt the company. I, the de facto stockholder, want them all fired without severance pay since I am now financing the company via my tax dollars.
Now for the UAW. The most overpaid, under productive labor union in the country. He who makes $70 an hour for sweeping the factory floor should be the first one to lose his job in a downsizing economy. But no, the most highly paid janitor in the world is protected by the union, so instead money is siphoned off of the American taxpayer because some genius claims the big three are “too big to fail.” Baloney! The Big Three need to fail. All of those highly paid floor sweepers need to lose their jobs. They are paid too much to produce a lousy product that does not sell and causes taxes to be raised in order to prop up the companies they destroy. Every single UAW worker should be fired and forced to work for a reasonable rate like the rest of the blue-collar workers in this country who actually produce something for a reasonable price. If the economy is to recover from this mess, then those who are a burden on it need to be minimized, starting with the UAW.
Now for Congress. You weak minded prostitutes of public opinion. How dare you take my hard earned money and pump it by the billions into these poorly run companies. Shame on you for placing such a value on the votes of the labor unions. You too must lose your jobs. You are the scum of the Earth. Both the Democrats who pander to the unions and the Republicans who are too weak or too scared to stand up to them – you share the blame for the Big Three fiasco.
In summation, I want to see Congress, Big Three Executives, and The UAW all on the bread line, only to get to the end and realize that the American taxpayer will no longer be their bread and butter. You represent all that is wrong with the American economy and an example should be made of you so any who look to follow in your footsteps are deterred.
I will no longer let my patriotism be manipulated to the benefit of the lazy and corrupt. That is why I will never buy another American car.
~Man Overboard
Images used in this Post
Big Three CEOs photo courtesy of Flickr user Bearman2007 published under the CC license.
Big Three Bailout photo courtesy of Flickr user CiaranJ75 published under the CC license.
52 Comments
A fine rant indeed.
Knowing Jack Gamble personally I can attest that the preamble to this derisive piece is in no way hyperbole. Jack’s undying love for his country nearly brought about an existential meltdown as he climbed behind the wheel of a Yota.
On a more serious note, one of the principal benefits to allowing the Big Three to declare Chapter 11 bankruptcy would be the nullification of any and all Union contracts. It is deplorable that the UAW is unwilling to negotiate the bloated pay rates of their workforce. Not only do the have the balls to refuse new negotiations but they refuse to acquiesce their annual pay increase – something that any other American would be more than happy to do during economic upheaval.
So I say it is the United Auto Workers who are not patriotic; they are Unamerican!
It is plain to see that you have not done your homework concerning what the autoworker make in pay let alone how we got to where we are now in trade in-balance.
If you had done your homework you would know that the pay scale has changed a lot. Also their job descriptions have changed to make the workforce more flexible. The American autoworker works on average more hours then their counter parts in any of the foreign countries, so overtime accounts for some of their wages.
Our manufacturing workers face unfair conditions in the world market. Other counties have trade barriers in place to keep our products out of their markets. Our workers live in a country with a higher standard of living, they have to make more money to pay the bills. Do you want to get paid less for what you do so that you can match what a foreign worker gets paid to do a job like your job. I think not…
Our own government has created this trade in-balance. If you would care to look back to 1980, we led the world in the export of manufactured goods. We also had the strongest banks in the world. We were the major source of money to be loaned.
Then Ronald was elected. In the eight years that he was president we had trade laws changed and trading agreements signed, that started us down a slippery slope to where we are now.
In order to protect the future of our children, we need to get our manufacturing base back. If people in your town are not working and getting paid a fair wage, they can not buy your goods or services. It is just that simple! We can not exist as a country if we ignore the fact that most of the population will not get a college education. What happens if this majority of the population does not have jobs? We are talking about social problems on a scale that will make the great depression look like “good times”.
I do not have all the answers to solve the problems we face, but the one thing that will make the most difference is to get the industrial base back, period!
We are at war, economic war, and we are getting our butts kicked. Anyone that buys a foreign product is giving aid to the enemy and killing their children’s future! It is just that simple…
I agree with most of what you said except that you are missing a fundamental piece of information in your argument. Many Toyotas and Hondas are made from parts and manufactured in the US-to an extent such that the manufacturing and labor associated from US workers is actually greater than American car companies who source and assemble most of their vehicles overseas. Even BMW has manufacturing plants in the US. Enough of telling other people to do their homework, how about you do some now?
Thank you for reading my comment.
Toyota, Honda, and many of the other foreign cars are “assembled” here. Assembled here with most of the expensive parts like engines being made in a foreign country. The other part of the picture is that the manufacturing that they do here is a small fraction of their production compared to the number of the cars that they sell here.
What are your thoughts about how we can change this? Do you think that we need to go back and revisit our trade agreements?
Right on the money.
I love my corolla and America will have to do some major overhauling and improving to get me buying again.
Unions are taking some hits huh? I think the corps themselves have to shoulder some blame, no?
Actually keeks, the unions have not taken one hit or made one concession yet throughout this entire collapse.
As of yesterday they were still refusing any renegotiation of their bloated contract.
The executives are to blame of course for allowing this lousy deal in the first place.
Yeah Keeks, in this particular instance the Union is just out of line as the execs. Both parties need to shoulder the blame with this one.
I agree they both need to shoulder some of the blame and if it as you mentioned Jack a matter of the union not taking their share of this mess then that is unjust.
My first new car purchase was a 1989 Mazda..
I haven’t (willingly) driven an American car since then.
I knew American cars were sh*t back in the ’80′s, where have you been?
– Mazda, Nissan, Subaru
Ford owns Mazda.
I truly hate these friggin car companies. As one would have expected they are now asking for MORE MONEY. When does the bleeding stop!?
I feel the same I WILL NEVER AGAIN BUY A CAR FROM FORD GM CHRYSLER 30 years and out full pension that could be retired at 48 if you get in at 18 years. and now I the taxpayer have to subsidize this BS. NOOOOOOO WAAAAAY From this point on IMPORTS for me.
Right on Peter. Just in case you are not totally turned off to American cars, I will give Ford some credit. They have not accepted federal dollars yet and it doesn’t appear that they will any time soon.
Just to set the record straight, Ford hasn’t accepted any bailout money from the US government.
Well said J.G……..A bit late for a reply but you can thank Stumble U
Thanks Tired. Delay of Game, Stumble Upon, 5 yard penalty.
Now get some sleep.
Jack, you are aware that we have a direct reply feature in our comment section, right?
GM deserve to die of brain death. They should have known that nobody would buy their fat over sized cars if the oil prices went up.
Oil prices were definately one of the factors in the demise of GM. They were just overall poorly operated. Between oil prices, bloated contracts, a credit crisis, and substandard products GM was in no position to survive without John Q’s help.
The Chinese are coming! The Chinese are coming! SEE:
“The astounding Chinese have epoched the great GM, of U.S.A. in producing an Electric/gas/plug-in car! They are driving them in the streets of China as we speak, they will be retailed in the U.S.A. by 2011, they will cost half the price of a “Volt” and they are “On Order” for Israel! GM, take a deep breath, your naughty parts have just been cut off by a Chinese high-tech competitor, and the “Volt” is still “Vapor-ware”!” See:http://www.cleantech.com/news/3983/chinas-byd-sells-first-mass-produced-plug-cars
Your next car will be built in China, just as the major American investors in this Chinese model have planned! They are effectively moving auto manufacturing off-shore by investing at the Shanghai market in Chinese enterprises!
if you really think the guys working in the auto plants are making $70/hr., i’ve got a bridge to nowhere to sell you. what is the problem with someone making a decent living working in a factory? it’s not their fault if the cars are designed poorly or if the companies are not keeping up with the times in design. those factory jobs are middle class jobs. these folks are not living high off the hog, trust me. i used to live in MI and knew quite a few factory workers. if you want to complain about the direction of the company, or the decisions (or lack thereof) of the execs in running the company, you have legitimate targets there. stop spouting the lie about the wages of the workers. just because fox news says it, doesn’t make it true. in fact, it makes the statement more suspect.
Actually Kevin, the $70 is the average compensation, including benefits. The reason the auto workers are living in the “middle” class, is due the UAW reclaiming a large sum of each of their paychecks to feed their machine. By the time the government, unions, and pension monies are deducted, the take home is abysmal. All union workers are duped into contracts of representation through sly marketing of “hot” topics. I know first hand. My family is part of the scam at Boeing, and UFCW. Unions have become what the Federal Government has become, self serving thieves, who have little concern for those they represent. In my, and many others opinion, union workers, no matter which union, are not the most productive, nor passionate at their particular skill, more than likely due their complacency, not their character.
$70 an hour (in both pay and benefits) is far beyond a decent living Kevin. The UAW shares equal parts blame with company execs and congress. All three are causing this situation. I am sick and tired of financing it. Stop acting like the UAW is some type of victims support group. They are a corrupt organization that is costing the average American taxpayer billions.
You people have to get your facts straight before you start something. I was like WTF $70/hour in a factory?!? But ofcourse I didn’t just blabbing before I found out where they got their figures from. These people in Detroit are white-collar engineers with higher education, not the assemblyman you’re thinking of. You can’t run a car factory without these engineers. It’s about the same $70/hour all over the world for car factories… so please know what you’re talking about before you say things like this. This is called “rumors” and bullSH*T, good only to start drama and appealing for these craving attention.
And as for reliability, it is also false that American cars have low reliability. In fact, ALL American brands have beat the best of Europe’s cars. European cars have terrible reliability, if you didn’t know (I’m sure you would cry once you found out the truth, but please do more research on this for yourself). Furthermore, Ford is actually considered a top contender in quality, value, and reliability. Many critics have compared the 2010 Ford Fusion to the $103,000 Lexus. Much of Ford’s technology is catching up and some already surpassing that of Japan’s (if you didn’t know, Toyota pays millions a year in licensing fees to use American control designs in their cars, without them Japanese cars will crash disasterously on freeways at 65+mph).
So you can write whatever you like Jack, but I know you knew from the start that there’s gonna be someone who did more research than you before they stumbled on your article.
Say all you want about doing the research. I would think that the numbers themselves add up to the demise of Chrysler and GM. Regardless of their quality, people just don’t like buying American made cars… Ford may be the exception, as I absolutely adore my Focus… which was designed by the European team…
American cars simply do not drive like European cars… generally speaking, they drive like plastic bathtubs and they can’t handle a corner.
Actually the Big Three have gotten much better since the 80′s. I’ve owned a Ford Focus and I just got a Chevy Malibu and they have both been great cars.
You right about that Max. But that doesn’t really say much. I think most car enthusiasts are still trying to forget the 80′s.
I LOVE my 2007 Tacoma short bed SR5 as well! My wife LOVES her 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe. We will NEVER buy from any company that has to pay extortion fees to the UAW. I would rather ‘give’ 80% of my money to other Americans who work for reasonable rates. If you want more money, get a degree and a better job. Don’t just sit there turning screws with one hand and asking for bailouts and more benefits with the other. We should be investigating how to jettison the states of California and Michigan just to cut our losses. 48 states has a nice ring to it.
Last week on The Daily Show with John Stewart there was a local politician on from Long Island who is trying to drum up support for a move to secede from the rest of New York state. He claims that Long Island pays $3 billion more in taxes than it receives in support from the state. Sort of a side note- but an interesting tidbit that kind of goes along with Bill’s point – you gotta cut the under-performing, weak loose.
California has more economic power than any other state. It would be rather unwise as a country to jettison California.
just buy a tesla
Thank you for this article. Now here is my story. My father works for Ford and I too have had “buy american” beaten into my head since childhood. Some in my family go as far to refuse anyone even parking a foreign car in their driveway! Today, I have decided to NEVER buy an american car again and searched out a place to view my comments.
I have owed 3 american cars, all have been peices of junk. My Pontiac 6000 died of transmission failure at little over 90k. A second Taurus made it to a respectable 105k and again died of transmission failure. Now I am in school and was really serious about finding a good car. So I researched and found the chevy prism to be a good fit in reliability and fuel economy. I shelled out 5000$ for a 2000 with only 40k… this car should last right? Nope. Despite maintaining the car; changing the oil every 3000, changing the transmission fluid, ect… I am now at just below 70k and I can no longer trust it. The fuel pump just went out and when I had it fixed I was informed that the transmission was in bad shape and is ready to go!
I will never buy another american car, I will be happy and proud to buy foreign. If an american car enthusist would like to buy an POS for me, my all means get me an american car but you will also need to spot my mechanical bills when the thing breaks down and help me out with rides to class. No, for now one I am buy only foreign… I have had enough.
I have an idea for a bumper sticker to mock those: “Not out of the job yet?… Keep buying foreign”. My bumper sticker reads: “Not out of the job yet?… Keep building pieces of sh-t.”
Consumer Reports listed the Chevrolet Prizm as a Corolla, made by Chevy
Let’s get one thing straight if you think foriegn cars are better your are very miss informed. I wish there were smarter people in the world but the fact remains that’s why toyota and honda nissan stay in buisness! The facts are that ford is the best auto maker in the world they are the inovators and designers of the worlds top automakers if you buy a lexus toyota honda. Bmw you bought it from a ford trained designer engineer that has dominated the world the bottom line if you don’t buy a ford you aren’t a american you are a americant….you are a disgrace to real americans and you should be punished severly for suppporting another country… You suck people read the headlines toyota is killing your neighbors its tru the suck get a clue…
I’ll make this one concession that was not known at the time this post was written; Ford did not accept taxpayer money and actually turned a profit, so for that reason only, I will give Ford it’s due credit.
That said:
Ford as innovators, yeah the Focus was a real improvement. By the way, wasn’t that model recalled along with every Ford ever made with Firestone Tires not too long ago…maybe you shouldn’t use the Toyota recall to promote Ford given the high number of Ford recalls in the not too distant passed. Nice try.
If I don’t buy Ford I’m not American huh? My Toyota was made in America by non union workers. So maybe if I don’t buy American I just don’t want to fund Union giveaways that reward sub-par work with better benefits than soldiers in combat receive.
You can bend over and take it from the UAW if you want, but I’ll take my better vehicle made by better AMERICAN workers of companies with better executives. Who cares if the profits go to a CEO in Japan?
So are we talking about Americans or Uni0ns here? Don’t try to act like the UAW in anyway symbolizes an American worker. The UAW symbolizes corrupt Unions driving weak companies into the ground at the expense of other harder working people and nothing else.
Hey Genius, and I use the term loosely, my Mom’s Ford Taurus was made in Canada eh! and my 1984 Chevrolet El Camino was made in Mexico. but that doesn’t make them foreign right. Toyota might be killing your neighbors, but your killing the English Language with your grammar and spelling.
To a Chevy guy ford means: Found On Road Dead.
When you say REAL Americans, are talking about the ones who sit in front of their televisions night after night and watch American Idol, till their asses are so big they can’t get off the couch without a Doctors note. well, those are not Americans, those are Consumers, who feel entitled to have a big ass, and the rest of Us should feel sorry for them because it said so right on FOX News. Travis, I’m not sorry your ass is so big you need a Ford Truck to haul it around to the local Carl’s Jr or McDonald’s, that’s your problem. REAL Americans don’t bitch and moan, they do something about it. and if that means buying American made Foreign Cars so be it. but all is not lost, they make Cars and Trucks for BIG ASS Consumers too.
Sorry Jason, but my patronizing knows no bounds.
Here here, but I do believe it was the feminine product container resembling anchors on MSNBC that pander to fat people. Not obese mind you, disgusting fat people who should pay more for a plane ticket. Espeicially if I have to pay $20 for my 35 pound luggage when their love handles weigh 75 lbs apiece and spill over into my already cramped seat when they sit next to me and then when they stand up they slap them in the knees when they walk.
I have driven 8 cars almost a half a million miles since I got my license it 1997…some American, some Japanese, and some German and I will tell you that the German cars are far superior when it comes to comfort, safety, engineering, and performance…its not even funny…
I notice reliability wasn’t on that list, though…
Did somebody say Germans?
Yeah, I am half German..so maybe I’m a bit biased. But German cars just feel the way a car “should feel” when you drive them…Like a Mag-Lev on a track. And they last too. My 2004 A6 feels newer and than my wife’s 2008 Accord Sedan…
I would say Japan makes the best pick-ups (Tecoma/Tundra) and Hummer the best SUV…
I’ve always been a big fan of Deutsche auto, dis-(ir)regardless of their reputation for expensive maintenance.
This website is just wrong on so many levels.
The comments on the quality of American made cars, the comments about what union workers make, all just so wrong.
The reason that cars made in the America cost more, is because our workers have a higher standard of living. The skilled workers in Korean auto plants make around $3.50 an hour. I do not know what you do for a living, but are you willing to lower your standard of living so that what you get paid to match the pay scale in Korea?
The foreign countries have trade barriers in place to prevent American made products from being sold in their countries. We are the only industrialized country that has allowed this to happen to our manufacturing base.
Over 65% of the cars and trucks in the United States are from foreign countries. That means that millions of jobs and now trillions of dollars have been sent to foreign countries. That is more damage then the banking industry did to our country in this last banking melt down.
Not every person in our country will go to college. These people that do not go on to college need good jobs so that they can support themselves and their families. If we do not get back our manufacturing base these people will not have good paying jobs. This will mean that the majority, and it is the majority that do not go on to college, will not have a future. Do you really want this for our country or your children? I have grand children, and I fear for their future!
So, is it un-American to buy a foreign car, you bet your children’s future it is!
Gordon, some of your comment I agree with and some I do not. Your point about trade barriers is right on the mark, but your argument about cost of living is irrelevant. It’s not the current wages of American workers that is destroying American car companies; it is the future liabilities associated with pensions and health care for retired workers from the auto unions that are financially killing them.
Also, American cars are just as “foreign” as most foreign cars are today. Many GM parts are manufactured in Guam and Mexico, with only the final assembly taking place in the US, if at all. Buying an American car versus buying a foreign car doesn’t really have that different of an impact on our economy. It’s simply not true due to the distribution of manufacturing and assembly of both American and foreign car companies across countries and continents.
Un-American to buy a foreign car? Ask the hundreds of thousands of Americans who work at Japanese and European car factories, dealers, service shops, and parts manufacturers what they think…
Given what we’ve learned about Toyota’s lies and deceptive practices over the last few months, I can’t believe that anyone would support them – unless you own a Toyota and need to lick your wounds.
I guess this is a good time for an update:
Ford’s not taking of taxpayer money has exempted them from the theme of this article. While Toyota’s conduct is certainly unbecoming, I would consider this news as an opportunity to cash in on cheap Toyota models unaffected by the gas pedals – including my commandingly awesome Tacoma.
uh we make less than half of the $70 dollars an hour. We dont even get close with time and a half. Where are you getting your bloated figures
your comment about ford is wrong. They took a money back in 2006 to keep them afloat
when you count benefits we make $68 dollars an hour. You know japanese autoworkers make $75 an hour. Don’t grammar police me, i’m on my phone
got to finish reading the rest of the article. Jack we have not had a raise in some 15 years and our benefits were cut about 5 years ago
also my union due is 40 dollars a month…
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