Yes, those who chose not to buy one of their cars because they didn't like the product are now, through their taxes, being forced on pain of imprisonment to pay for the continued manufacture of the product. And they don't even get one of the cars they are paying for.
Yes, I know that there are arguments in support of bailing out a company; temporary external shocks that destabilise a viable business, and so on, but the fact remains that the money comes from people who declined to buy the product.
(Image courtesy of @Measured, with thanks)
Brilliant poster. GM sell average cars and have been crushed by their Japanese competitors. My sympathy for them is notable by its absence.
ReplyDeleteLook on the bright side, at least a car factory like GM could become a munitions factory in the event of a war, even if you did not buy one of their cars. This does not quite justify the cost though. You are right at identifying that bailouts are usually a short sighted misguided way of putting your money back into the economy, but it helps politicians.
ReplyDeleteI'm just imagining a fleet of tanks, our last line of defence in the face of an invasion, all cobbled together as an emergency measure .... at Longbridge.
ReplyDelete"Sir, we tried to fire the cannon but it just made a funny grinding noise and a light came on in the dashboard..."