Built like a Mercedes (?)

It's not that we're apathetic and ignorant. It's that we don't care and
don't know.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

Yes. An enduring phenomenon ('ongoing situation'... <grin>) since the
introduction of machinery (Industrial Revolution).

For example in Britain there was massive restructuring in the seventies and
now employment is still at among its highest levels and certainly among the
highest in western Europe (perhaps partly because more partners in a family
need to work to have sufficient income to enjoy 'the good life').

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling

 

Bit of a rambling rant. Your main points are...?

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling
---

[...]

[...]

 

For a while cheap-labour countries have an advantage but this erodes with
time. (Taiwan-to-mainland China shift is one example.)

At first simple machinery is produced at low prices, then the prices rise as
the quality rises. Internationally-sourced components cost the same
everywhere.

And then there is the question of efficiency. A worker may get only a
dollar a day, but how efficient is the production set-up? There are many
factors...

In my (well-to-do) area of west London I was out for a walk this evening and
made a point of looking for Skodas and SEATs, all made by the VW Group.
None. But loads and loads of VW and Audi-labelled cars. Yet you can buy a
Skoda equivalent for a lot less money. Skodas are made in a state-of
the-art factory in the Czech Republic, a country with a noble industrial
history in the pre-Communist era. And yet the brand has no cachet except
for 'contrarians'.

Yes, in western Europe the annual holiday times are long compared to USA and
Japan, but there is pressure to reduce them, or at least get the weekly
hours up (at same weekly pay, i.e. unit pay cut).

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling

 

In my reply to Budd I said I was sick of hearing "cut the employees wages as
"part" the cure all end all."

What I have noticed is NOBODY has responded to my question. I wonder
why.....

Roy

 

some people need something to gripe about? just a guess. *grin*

 

I can't see why their reliability is not as good as any. Rust resistance is
OK and they use as many galvanised panels and have as good a warranty as
anyone.
Rust was a particular problem when scrap metal had to be incorporated in
sheet steel and was a particular problem in Italian, French and Japanese
cars of a period up to the early 90's.





and in Britain the French cars tend to cluster low down in the

Italian engineering has always been absolutely top notch although their
electrics have not always been even adequate. This has changed markedly over
the last fifteen years. I own several pieces of sophisticated electronically
controlled industrial units built in Italy from the early 90's and they are
rust resistant and I have never had a single electronic problem from their
engine management, full electronic transmission management or chassis
management systems alone or their comunication with each other. Admittedly
mid 80's models with far less sophistication had a reputation for wiring
loom fires but time moves on.

Certainly it is private with a minority shareholder which happens to be a
Govt investor. EU rules on competition prevent any unfair investment though.

Huw

 

I guess that some are all consumed about what are supposed rules and
guidelines. Or perhaps they touch themselves too much. Screw'em.

Roy

 

Well maybe if you weren't used to getting paid $40 an hour to sweep
floors, you could deal with getting what normal people get for the
same job.

It isn't so much that people want unions to accept pay cuts, as you
should never have got what you are getting.

*************************
Dave

 

It dosen't matter how much per hour a person get's. How about YOU? Monday go
to work and go to your boss and tell him you want to give up 25% of your pay
and some of your benifits.
I doubt that will happen. But your pretty free to toss other peoples wages
around.

Right! The guy sweeping the floor walked in and demanded $40 @hour to sweep
the floor. Son of a bitch! He got it! Take me there will ya?

Roy

 

I assume you meant this questions: "Who the
hell here can afford a pay cut?"

In all honsety, I think there's no serious reply because everyone
understands that the market does not have any emotions. It does not
care that I or you personally feel like we can't afford a pay cut. If
it can find the labor cheaper, it will go there - you will take a pay
cut one way or the other. IOW, no one answered because they didn't want
to state the obvious.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

Come now Scott, you know that europeons are superior to everyone else
in every way.

Well at least in their tiny little minds they are.

*************************
Dave

 

And what is even more amazing is how the idiots who blindly support
the democratic party by allowing "their union" to tell them how to
vote, and spend their money on democrats, are the same idiots who are
losing their jobs to stupid EPA regulations imposed on them by the
same democrats.

I am in favor of reasonable environmental laws, and I am in favor of
reasonable job protections. But in this country the unions have
fucked over our economy, by preventing the poor employees from being
told to shape up or ship out. In Illinois there are schools granting
tenure after just 2 years. That hardly is fair to students and tax
payers.

*************************
Dave

 

Correction of top posting idiocy attempted...

We drive cars more because they are more efficient. If they were not,
we would choose other methods of transportation.

If there was an efficient (for me) method of transport to my work I
would take it, but there is not. There is virtually no efficient
method of public transportation in the US.

*************************
Dave

 

I'll bite on this claim as soon as you provide a cite that explains
the claim.

I guarantee you Mercedes production is far less, more like 20
employees per car per year.

If you are including pieces of shit of lesser quality than American
made cars such as the Honda Accord, than of course the number made
would be higher than Honda.

Without some data, your claims are useless.

*************************
Dave

 

Is your keyboard broke, or your brain.

*************************
Dave

 

Certainly not the ones with an overpopulation problem.

*************************
Dave

 

Chrysler needs to produce more energy efficient cars that are safer and

Maybe you missed it, but Deiter Zeitsche was promoted to head of DC because
Chrysler is making a profit. It is hoped he can do the same for DC as a
whole.

Chrysler isn't having any financial problems that aren't normal in the
course of fiscal operation. Compared to GM and Ford, DC as a whole is doing
very well, while Chrysler group is making a profit.

--
Max

"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)

 

Agreed, Biofuels are a very good way to go.

--
Max

"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)

 

Cite? Every country which is more densely populated than the US has a
far lower standard of living.

Potential? They have the potential to get their asses kicked if they
keep supporting terrorists.

*************************
Dave