On July 2, one headline in the business section shouted, “GM OVERTAKES TOYOTA AS NATIONS NUMBER ONE AUTO MAKER”. Sounds great. Right?
WRONG! Who really gives a darn what number GM is when sales are so far down? With auto sales declining as much as they have, the headline of another story on the very same day shouted, “GM STOCK CLOSES AT $10 A SHARE. LOWEST PRICE IN FIFTY YEARS.”
Am I supposed to be feeling sorry for them? I feel sad for the families of those who are losing their jobs, but there a few points I must make.
First, for many years GM manufactured crap. Management blamed the UAW and the union blamed management while we poor shnooks who believed in buying American products were caught in the middle. We responded by giving GM the middle-finger salute as we started buying Japanese autos.
Second, I urge everyone to Google “Where would GM be without the UAW?” Take a few minutes to read the brilliant commentary by George Raisman.
And finally, back in the ‘70s, when we had those loooong gas lines, I remember hearing the B.S. about hydrogen, water, and electric-powered cars. Detroit has had three decades to come up with something. They sat on their lazy, spoiled tuchuses and now we are all paying for it.
As we used to say when we were growing up in Brownsville – Tough nuggies.
********
Let’s get the quote correct once and for all. After a questioner stated something about President Bush’s comment regarding our troops being in Iraq for 50 years, John McCain said, “Maybe a hundred. We’ve been in Japan for sixty years. We’ve been in South Korea for fifty years or so. That would be fine with me as long as Americans are not being injured or harmed or wounded or killed.”
Everybody! Please take those last 14 words starting with “as” and repeat it three times. “….as long as Americans are not being injured or harmed or wounded or killed.”
Now say it again “….as long as Americans are not being injured or harmed or wounded or killed.”……” and please say it one last time “as long as Americans are not being injured or harmed or wounded or killed.”
Now if you dare misquote him on that issue you will have to deal with me. I’m coming over and I will poke you in the eye for doing it deliberately. Ya’ hear that, Keith?
********
The following bubbe meintse looks like it came right out of a TV script. When 17-year-old Jamie Lynn Spears gave birth to Maddie Briann, the paparazzi were camped out in front of the hospital aiming to catch a glimpse and a photo of the new mommy. Jamie Lynn’s mother and fiancée left the hospital and put a third person, covered by a sheet, into the back seat of an SUV. Escorted by the police and followed by a motorcade of hungry photographers, the trio headed for Spears’ family home in Louisiana. There was great disappointment in the air when it was revealed that the third person was actually a dummy. At the same time this sham was being perpetrated, Jamie Lynn and her newborn quietly walked out the front door of the hospital and drove in the opposite direction to her new home in Liberty, Mississippi. A charade like this requires a large imagination and some great acting. I’ll have to remember that the next time I am surrounded by a mob of eager fans.
********
We’ve been hearing quite a bit these days about the Fairness Doctrine. I am StanGershbein@Bellsouth.net saying that it sounds more like an UNfairness Doctrine. That’s only my opinion. What’s yours?
********
Your letters and Emails are the property of this newspaper and may be published. Please keep them short. For verification purposes only, all correspondence must contain your real name, address and telephone number.
