Sometimes government works well and benefits society. Sometimes it works poorly and harm society.

The devil is in the details.

It’s simply a right wing cliche to proclaim loudly and repetively: business always good; government always bad.

If this were obviously and consistently true, most of America and Europe and Australasia would be run by libertarian governments because they would be elected over and over again.

Neither liberals nor conservatives have a reliable theory or system for running the world. That is why liberal governments and conservative governments are frequently turned out of office in countries with reasonably free elections.

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“…but it is clear that this move (aimed at saving 42K jobs) is a step in the right direction.”

It is not clear to me. I don’t believe the US government should be interfering in private business. Why do you think it should?

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As the old NAPA ads had it, “pay me now, or pay me later.” You can “rescue” GM or you can let it fail and then invest your money in the communities and states shattered by its fall. The second path is far more expensive and long-lasting in its damage.

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As long as they cant manufacture to the demand profitably, no amount of govnt. intervention will help GM. The track record of government involvement isnt so good that one should hedge any bets on the matter.

GM has made many mistakes over the last decade to drop it from being the leader of the auto industry down to bankruptcy. If they cant survive on their own, then they should go the way of the dodo.

We should not be afraid to lose big companies even American, because as long as there is a demand, someone will come along to fill that demand or create competition. Let the market work itself out rather than manipulation.

“Not sure why Steve is calling GM one of America’s greatest companies, but it is clear that this move (aimed at saving 42K jobs) is a step in the right direction.”

Because it used to own the majority of the auto industry in sales?? I’d say thats pretty big at least…

Someone would buy the GM label anyway..at least Chevy, and most likely fill in the demand by buying most of the old plants. Of course this wont happen as long as the government has any strings attached…

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I’m a little worried (yet not surprised) that WMB’s are repeating the bogus conspiracy theory that Obama (who has no role in deciding which dealerships will close because those decision are being made by GM — duh!) is selectively targeting GOP aute-dealers. There really is egg on the face of conservative bloggers everywhere in basic debunking goes ignored by extremists. Auto-dealers are already disproportionately Republican.

Montyfisher,

Something about you’re posts makes me want to welcome you to the discussion purely on the grounds of encouraging political participation of America’s high schoolers. Besides there not being any major scandals in Obama’s first 5 months, you’re tacit future predictions of scandal’s too come don’t lend you any ethos. The U.S. will have a chance to remove Obama from office in 2012, it’s already scheduled. But if the right doesn’t start showing a great depth of insight than those of a typical conservative teenager, it will become increasingly less likely.

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