R.I.P. General Motors (1931-2006)

The last thing you would buy GM for is the name and reputation

Howard

 

On 2 Apr 2006 14:03:22 -0700, "Michael Alcandor"

The Man Michael Alcander obvious doesn't read or watch the news on
CNN. This probably explains his pin head mentality. But for those of
us with global mental capacities, it is clear that General Motors
problems are well documented, and consist of a combination of gross
miss management. Retirees benefits, health care, size, and the
competitions from foreign auto makers being at the top of the list.

By the time someone get's in the White House that will address health
care, there might not be any American Company's with a heart beat.

Adolf Strauss

 

Howard,
Great post. Do you know whether or not GM places engines made in Japan in
some of their vehicles? I once purchased a mini-pick up (RAM 50) with the
word DODGE written on the outside of it. However, it had an engine that
had the word MITSUBISDHI written on top of the engine. Does GM do this
same sort of thing?
Jason

 

nor is the sun renewable

I was speaking of building more nuclear plants and having them charge cars
on the grid overnight.

 

Damn, the lies keep getting bigger and bigger.......

 

Which is an interesting lesson in itself. AT&T marketing was
obviously more effective than the overall corporation. My guess is
that they spent a lot of money to build up the name AT&T. In the end,
it was the only part that was worth anything.

I had a problem with AT&T service (caused by their bungling) and the
phone rep was totally worthless. It soon became clear that the only
way to resolve the problem was to cancel my service.

 

LOL I think Mitsubisdhi is an Indian manufacturer.

 

AT&T still exists. Its long distance and some other operations exist
under SBC management (who also took on the AT&T name). Its cell phone
business now exists as part of Cingular. Its two cable companies ...
lost track of who has all that now. Its NCR division now operates
profitably.

Eastern Airlines and Pan Am became part of ... again I forgot who
took them over. TWA - did that become part of American? TWA's St
Louis hub - did that become an American Airlines hub? So yes, if a
company is only its management, then you are right - none of them
exist. But those companies still exist as part of other companies -
and that is my point. Why are those operations successful again?
Because the only reason for failure - bad management - was replaced.
Look at GM to discover a same problem.

Most every large company does not just go bust. Its core operations
are removed from bad management. Sometimes those operations get a new
name. But those businesses continue. New management often must
restructure those operations because bad management had created bad
organizations and stifled employees. The point remains - GM will not
vaporize. It may reorganize. It may be purchased. It may be broken
up and distributed to other companies that have management with brains
instead of egos. Major companies do not vaporize. They get new
management to replace the only reason why companies such as GM, AT&T,
Eastern Airlines. PanAm, etc were failing.

Graduates of business schools don't like to admit this because they
are so often the reason for failure. When management does not come
from where the work gets done, then innovation cannot happen. Business
school graduates assume that more investment make more innovation.
They assume innovation falls from the sky like rain. Simply make
clouds and rain will invariably happen. Bull.

Innovation requires capital. But too much capital can even destroy
innovation. It is not a bidirectional relationship as so many business
school graduates assume. Innovation requires investment. But
investment does not create innovation; a direct contradiction to what
is taught by business school simulations and spread sheet analysis.

GM's problem is their management - especially Rick Wagoner - a
classic example of business and law school thinking. Whatever saves GM
must first eliminate the reason why GM's large reservoir of talent has
been stifled for 30 years. Same thing that destroyed AT&T (and
Lucent), Eastern Airlines, Pan Am, etc was bad management. Those core
operations live on once bad management was replaced - vaporized.

 

....shiit...i still remember when a gallon of regular was 32 cents...
had a 100cc yamaha motorcycle...me and my buds would
should the earth for returnable pop bottles...them was the daze...

 

I made that mistake too, was a minivan instead of a minitruck. I must have
spent every weekend replacing something on it. I had to trade it in twice,
first dealer gave it back to me, second one I tossed the salesman the keys
and left before he could get a good look at it.

 

Yes, the U.S. Government is deep in red ink, but NOT because of tax cuts!

The U.S. Government is deep in red ink because IT SPENDS TOO MUCH!

Tom

 

Au contraire, we got what we paid for. Yokels making $70 an hour. . . .

Charles of Schaumburg

 

My dad worked for W. T. Grant shortly before I was born and predicted its
demise after he left their employ because of their overextending of credit.
Lo and behold, when I was 19 W. T. Grant went out of business because it had
overextended credit. . . . I predicted that eventually the corporate
attitudes of Kmart would cause it to fail in 1981. Well, where is Kmart
today?

Charles of Schaumburg

 

No it doesn't. I just drove by one of their corporate centers on my way to
work this morning. The new "at&t" is basically the cremains of the old AT&T
after the technological revolution left them holding the bag with a lot of
old technology and the costs therefrom.

Charles of Schaumburg

 

"We have met the enemy and he is us!"

Pogo - Walt Kelly

JT

 

Uh, having a bit of trouble parsing a sentence, eh?

JT

 

Yes, at one point there were Chevrolets that were rebadged Isuzus in the
truck division. Dodge was selling rebadged Mitzubishis as far back as
1979. Ever heard of a Dodge Colt?

Charles of Schaumburg

 

Bingo!

JT

 

ROFLMAO!!!

Well, maybe if one is into recurring nightmares...

JT

 

Wrong! EAstern and Pan Am were liquidated.