On 30-Dec-2007, Wayne.B wrote:

Another thought.......you'll be in better standing with a Toyota when the
U.S. become a thoroughly 3rd world sort-of-a-country.

If that happens, no one will be more to blame than the US automobile
industry with their consumer be damned attitude. After two or three
serious wake up calls you'd think that the message would have gotten
across but it obviously hasn't happened. Detroit won't change until
the last fool in the country finally dies.

The blame lies with 1) the consumer, who is brain dead regarding economic
issues, 2) predation by the US Government with respect to trade agreements,
and 3) the automotive companies for failing to perform in the same manner as
the Asian automakers. The US automotive companies need to get out of the
US, ship raw materials, components, machine tools and capital equipment from
lower cost counties, and assemble the pieces in KY, AL, etc. like the Asian
brands.

Who needs a middle class anyway? What the US automotive manufacturers
produce are what the market demands - every company does that, without
exception. What the US manufacturers CANNOT do is produce miniscule
scooters and sell them for $10,000.00, for the reasons explained in #3
above.