Drew Dowdell

definitely a case of you get what you pay for.

Japan's Trade Surplus Vaporizes The Business Insider Talk about cliff diving. Japan, which at one point was synonymous with phrase 'trade surplus', is now a net importer. The country's trade surplus collapsed a staggering 99% in March, as a sharp dropoff in imports was not matched on the other side. The collapse means Japan ran a deficit for the year -- its first in 28 years.

..and such.

1. Who said the game is over? 2. Toyota has 3 brands in the U.S. 3. The Terrain and the Buick "Vue" would be substantially different vehicles. 4. Have you looked at Toyota's sales lately? They are tanking just as hard as the domestics... they just had a cash horde to help them through.

GM as Chevy, Pontiac/Buick/GMC, Cadillac makes sense and easy to reduce/eliminate model overlap.

No no... I can post pics.

suction out the fat to make biofuel. "Honey! The Suburban is below a quarter tank. Have a double whopper with cheese and hook up the shop vac!"

Don't I know it.

comes spittle.

I'm not in favor of taking choices away at all. I just want the costs to go up.

Even if they are born that way, we can change them, we'll just have to put them into special camps and make them pray a lot.

So is shoving greaseburgers down your throat even after you can no longer fit in an airline seat.

*still holds the keys to the server* Actually, I think Walt would appreciate it.

Plenty at my local dealers.

Happy Birthday dear leader. *really wishes he had a pic of Walt so he could turn it into an Obama style poster*

Not at all.... but I also don't eat a triple bacon whopper with cheese, a bucket of fries, and wash it down with a gallon of cola just because I can. We as a society have lost the ideas of moderation, self control, and self responsibility. "It's not my fault I'm obese, it's those McDonald's cheeseburgers that are so so good!" "It's not my fault I'm obese, McDonald's fries their fries in fat." "It's not my fault I'm obese, McDonald's increased the size of the medium fries and it's only 35 cents more for the large... it's such a good deal!" "It's not my fault I'm obese, the only time AmericanIdolWantstobeaMillionairebystudyingLawandOrdertobeaSurvivoronCSI:Miami is on are the 7 hours after I get home from work so I really don't have time to exercise."

It's just another symptom of our (on average) gluttony.

50 hours a week? That's my standard work week for my day job... then in the evenings and weekends I manage my rental properties... somehow in between all that, I have to come on here and babysit you miscreants. *shakes cane*

Electra of course

Aveo, Agila, Corsa, Astra, Meriva, Vivaro, and Zafira Hyperbole aside, the government healthcare amounts to a huge subsidy for these foreign companies. Airbus is a wonderful example of this. They receive huge subsidies from the EU membership not just in healthcare, but in grants, low interest loans, etc. just to compete with Boeing. For now, Boeing is still the leader, but how long can they compete like that? And more to the greater argument, how is this situation anything resembling free trade? My point is, we haven't had free trade for a very very long time.

Those laws apply equally to both Toyota and General Motors. Cars manufactured in Japan, by Toyota, for Japanese consumption do not have to go through the inspection process (and associated fees) that cars manufactured in the US, by General Motors, for Japanese consumption do. Japan has the second largest automotive market in the world. You think GM is selling in Europe, China, and the Middle East but not Japan because they just didn't get around to it yet? You think that Opel and GMDAT couldn't have scrounged up enough Aveos, Agilas, Corsas, Astras, Merivas, Vivaros, and Zafiras to at least make a go at it? Please!!

Keep free trade? What is your definition of free trade? Trade hasn't been free for a long time. Oh sure Japan, Korea, and China can dump product here all they want with relatively minimal regulation or taxation. Watch what happens when the US tries to export to those countries. If the U.S. imposed the same restrictions Asian imports that the Asians have on U.S. imports, Japan, China, and Korea would declare war.

Fixed that up there for ya.... It has harmed us because we have been unable to export our goods at the same rate that other countries do. Now I don't expect Japan to have as big a market as the U.S., but GM should be able to have more than a .5% market share there. GM didn't even bother because of the draconian import laws the Japanese have that are disguised as safety inspections. China is another great example. They limit the amount of imports they'll accept. You wonder why GM builds things in China? It's not just the cheap labor.... it has to be built there to sell there in any great number. We became the powerful nation we are because of our ability to build ANYTHING. We've sold that power in order to have low low prices at Big Box Mart. Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

I would argue that a charismatic, well known figure like Iaccoca would do wonders to help GM's image. Get Jobs, or Gates, or someone like that. Imagine if they put Gates, with all his ruthlessness, at the head of GM.