Nyc Transit Strike

[FLavius Valerius Constantinus]

Well Viggen, I hope this does not happen, but look at Canada. Their free medical program is gonna have major problems in the future with costs and other stuff.

[Moonlapse]

Here in Michigan, an enormous union state where the auto industry is king (though the king is dying), GM and Ford in particular are being hammered by the longevity of its former employees (and the fact that most American's don't give a hoot about supporting American companies).

 

The Chevy Equinox is assembled in Canada with a Chinese engine and a Japanese transmission. The Saturn Vue uses a Honda V6, and Honda V6's happen to be built in Ohio. However GM has closed plants in the US to open new ones in China and Mexico. Honda is opening an automatic transmission plant in Georgia, an expansion of its transmission plant in Ohio, and an expansion of its engine production plant in Alabama. How exactly do Americans go about giving a hoot about supporting American companies? GM is investing 3 billion dollars to produce vehicles in China.

 

Aside from that, I would never buy a vehicle from GM/Ford/Mopar based on what I've seen working in auto repair... like a Chevy V6 with a Chinese made camshaft that was just a hollow tube with lobes pressed on (comming loose and making a lot of noise) instead of a forged or cast unit.

[Ursus]

I will buy whatever product is the best balance of cost and quality. I don't care about nationality. Profit and quality are not two virtues restricted to nationality or ethnicity.

 

From what I've seen of the American work ethic in the modern world, its deplorable. I believe "screw it!" has become the unofficial motto of much of American industry. No wonder they are losing sales to the Germans or the Japanese who have a better work ethic.

 

As far as "free" medical care, no way no how. Not in this country. 75% of my co-workers are overweight slobs who smoke like chimneys, drink like fish, and order fast food every day. And they wonder why they are fat and sick. Paying for all those triple bypass surgeries would bankrupt the country. I'm responsible for my health and no one else's. And I actually take care of myself, and am sick not very often. If someone wants to slowly kill themself, they can do it on their own money, not the state's.

[Primus Pilus]

Aside from that, I would never buy a vehicle from GM/Ford/Mopar based on what I've seen working in auto repair... like a Chevy V6 with a Chinese made camshaft that was just a hollow tube with lobes pressed on (comming loose and making a lot of noise) instead of a forged or cast unit.

 

Japanese quality superiority over American is now only a legend. It may have been true at one point, and may still be true with some older models. GM once produced several times as many cars worldwide as Toyota... and hence there were proportionately more repair issues. Now that the two companies have nearly equal market shares and production numbers, compare the recall numbers of new Toyotas and the JD Power customer satisfaction numbers.

[Moonlapse]

I go by what I see and the people I deal with on a daily basis. It's all the proof I need. Reliability surveys vary incredibly from organization to organization.

compare the recall numbers of new Toyotas and the JD Power customer satisfaction numbers.

"It's really a factor of the rate of expansion, the speed at which they're growing right now," said Erich Merkle, director of forecasting for IRN Inc., a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based automotive consulting firm. Anytime an auto manufacturer opens new plants and ramps up production, "you open yourself up for some quality issues."

Guess where Toyota is opening up its new plants?

[M. Porcius Cato]

As far as "free" medical care, no way no how. Not in this country. 75% of my co-workers are overweight slobs who smoke like chimneys, drink like fish, and order fast food every day. And they wonder why they are fat and sick. Paying for all those triple bypass surgeries would bankrupt the country. I'm responsible for my health and no one else's. And I actually take care of myself, and am sick not very often. If someone wants to slowly kill themself, they can do it on their own money, not the state's.

 

Welcome, Ursus, to the party of Cato! We who refuse to submit ourselves salute you!