You say you like to read... http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=la_B005CYH5ZC_B005CYH5ZC_sr?rh=i%3Abooks&field-author=Doug+Boyce&sort=relevance&ie=UTF8&qid=1433396335
Sad, very sad, just like when Oldsmobile was dropped.
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Prince Edward Island
'64 Parisienne CS "barn find" - last on the road in '86 ... Owner Protection Plan booklet, original paint, original near-mint aqua interior, original aqua GM floor mats, original 283, factory posi, and original rust.
Well it was bound to happen. Sad, but it's our government's fault to allow this country to become a dumping ground for japanese junk! Say what you will about toyota and honda plants here, it still means squat. Makes you want to cry. R.I.P Pontiac, R.I.P.
Sad, but it's our government's fault to allow this country to become a dumping ground for japanese junk!
How can you possibly blame the Government of Canada for Corporate America's arrogance and shorty sightedness? GM refused to take the competition seriously 35 years ago and it has just taken the Giant this long to fall to it's knees.
the problem being that the toyota's and honda's were far superior for only a few dollars more, no one to blame but themselves (GM, Ford ,Chrysler) for putting crap on the road thinking they had the best on the road - not including crappy service at dealerships. that's why i changed to toyota
-- Edited by 80GPLJ on Monday 27th of April 2009 08:00:42 PM
Well it was bound to happen. Sad, but it's our government's fault to allow this country to become a dumping ground for japanese junk! Say what you will about toyota and honda plants here, it still means squat. Makes you want to cry. R.I.P Pontiac, R.I.P.
Ah yes a true believer !
Doesn't matter what product you name-when we made it, it was good-tools/electronics/clothes/food/shoes/farm equipment/ should I say cars !
wasn't until we bought all that import S**t that the big North American corporates fiqured out they could build it too and turn a larger profit for its stock holders.
The other side of the coin.........let's examine it.
While buying imports, purchasers do something else they may not have considered. They export North America's standard of living.
Yes, even when the non-North American imports they buy are built here, they are still imports because the profits go overseas.
Electronics manufacturing is long gone. Clothing is gone. In fact, most everything is gone. Now cars and trucks are going too.
The net result is always the same. We are exporting our standard of living. Buyers look inward and examine only their personal situation without consideration for the overall impact.
This continent cannot maintain its standard of living based simply on consumption. The less we build, the faster our standard of living will continue to fall. Don't believe it's falling? Seriously? If it hasn't affected you personally yet, stay tuned.
As has been said before, just because foreign car companies build some cars here doesn't change that equation. We are exporting our standard of living.
Until North Americans wake up to that truth, it's only going to get worse.
Your last line sums it up well Ken, and to add to that, I bet the people that exported all that crap to Canada are laughing at us now to boot.
-- Edited by Carl Stevenson on Monday 27th of April 2009 08:11:01 PM
Might be a good time to close this link before it gets nasty-seems we've been down this road many many times and our views are not shared-so just as these countries that ship/produce/dump this crap do-lets censor our opinions.
The other side of the coin.........let's examine it.
While buying imports, purchasers do something else they may not have considered. They export North America's standard of living.
Yes, even when the non-North American imports they buy are built here, they are still imports because the profits go overseas.
Electronics manufacturing is long gone. Clothing is gone. In fact, most everything is gone. Now cars and trucks are going too.
The net result is always the same. We are exporting our standard of living. Buyers look inward and examine only their personal situation without consideration for the overall impact.
This continent cannot maintain its standard of living based simply on consumption. The less we build, the faster our standard of living will continue to fall. Don't believe it's falling? Seriously? If it hasn't affected you personally yet, stay tuned.
As has been said before, just because foreign car companies build some cars here doesn't change that equation. We are exporting our standard of living.
Until North Americans wake up to that truth, it's only going to get worse.
Ah, another very intelligent reply-lotsa truth there-chalk mark on my board for you too.
What will the boys in my Avator do in this "land of oppourtunity" ?
the problem being that the toyota's and honda's were far superior for only a few dollars more, no one to blame but themselves (GM, Ford ,Chrysler) for putting crap on the road thinking they had the best on the road - not including crappy service at dealerships. that's why i changed to toyota
-- Edited by 80GPLJ on Monday 27th of April 2009 08:00:42 PM
I drive a 15 year old buick, I live in the salt belt, it still wears its original paint-zero rust, did brakes/tires/starter-still has original exhaust. The car before that was mid 1980's Pontiac, one repaint (2001) no rust-did brakes/tires/starter-sold it because it didn't have A/C for the kids-its still on the road.
I just bought the family a GM mini van 2003 137,000 kms did a dealer search (after buying it) its never, yes never been in for GM warranty repairs, service records show brakes/tires/fan belt/ oil changes/intake gaskets (fall 2008)
I wholesale for local used car lots-they don't even bid on 5 year + old imports-too many issues to certify etc...
import cars are NOT better, import clothes are NOT better, import electronics are NOT better, import food is NOT better, import farm equipment is NOT better
What will the boys in my Avator do in this "land of oppourtunity" ?
They have to get smarter and think better. The future is in brain power not man power. Our living standard is too high to support manufacturing jobs anymore.
I look back to 1972 when the famous Summitt Series took place. Our guys figured all they had to do was show up and they'd beat the Russians in every game. It was a joke really they came to taining camp with pot bellies and fancy suits, the pretty boys of Canada. Well they got a rude awakening didn't they. We won but it took a long time for us to change. Finally we did and Hockey Canada went on a re-engineering program and now our Junior players dominate the world again. We had to go back to the drawing board but it has worked, I think we can say Canada still produces the best hockey players in the world but it was in doubt for a long time.
Our thinking with the next generation needs re-engineering too. Make sure those young ones get a good education and make sure they know how to speak more than just English. My son tells me that he is out numbered at U of T by students from other lands and they work hard to get A's not coasting around like Jr. They know where to get the best education but we take it for granted. Everyone of my kids, 22, 19, 17 has travelled the world and that's huge in their development. The world is only a ten hour flight away and the lesson they learn are invaluable. Time for action not reaction friends.
I'm with you Ray, especially your last paragraph (since i dont follow hockey! yeah i know, i'm canadian, and i dont watch hockey!!)... we have to learn where our strengths and opportunities are and work hard to fulfill them! We need to export knowledge and even though its quite accessible, we should strive to make it more accessible to the youth of today/tommorrow... oh and not squander our natural resources, we're sitting on a goldmine of fresh water -until the US takes it.
As far as cars go, its a shame the situation we're in right now... but it is of their own making (and the US government lack of leadership)...MPG has flatlined for 20 years! lack of ingenuity, some vehicles were o.k, others quite pathetic... but the import cars made here will suffer too, they were really good when made in japan (yeah that statement will get me in trouble here)... now they are going downhill, wait for the latest toyota engine quality cuts to gain some mileage and their quality reputation nosedive... for the record my two vehicles are a 41 year old beaumont and a 13 year old chrysler -that i've been quite happy with and dollar for dollar i think will compete with any 13 year old import for reliability over the past decade.
I'm with you Ray, especially your last paragraph (since i dont follow hockey! yeah i know, i'm canadian, and i dont watch hockey!!)... we have to learn where our strengths and opportunities are and work hard to fulfill them! We need to export knowledge and even though its quite accessible, we should strive to make it more accessible to the youth of today/tommorrow... oh and not squander our natural resources, we're sitting on a goldmine of fresh water -until the US takes it.
As far as cars go, its a shame the situation we're in right now... but it is of their own making (and the US government lack of leadership)...MPG has flatlined for 20 years! lack of ingenuity, some vehicles were o.k, others quite pathetic... but the import cars made here will suffer too, they were really good when made in japan (yeah that statement will get me in trouble here)... now they are going downhill, wait for the latest toyota engine quality cuts to gain some mileage and their quality reputation nosedive... for the record my two vehicles are a 41 year old beaumont and a 13 year old chrysler -that i've been quite happy with and dollar for dollar i think will compete with any 13 year old import for reliability over the past decade.
ak
"really good when made in Japan" 1970's ,1980's ring a bell ?
if a 13 year old Chrysler did the job, no need to gamble investing in someone elses future.
I can remember an old girlfriend's Dad buying an 87 Dodge Daytona- 4 cyl stick-junk right ? he didn't believe in paying for all that service--changed the oil only-first breakdown was 179,000 kms !
Tempo's Topaz junk right ? every teenager out there was beating the crap out of them jumping curbs etc...
What will the boys in my Avator do in this "land of oppourtunity" ?
They have to get smarter and think better. The future is in brain power not man power. Our living standard is too high to support manufacturing jobs anymore.
I look back to 1972 when the famous Summitt Series took place. Our guys figured all they had to do was show up and they'd beat the Russians in every game. It was a joke really they came to taining camp with pot bellies and fancy suits, the pretty boys of Canada. Well they got a rude awakening didn't they. We won but it took a long time for us to change. Finally we did and Hockey Canada went on a re-engineering program and now our Junior players dominate the world again. We had to go back to the drawing board but it has worked, I think we can say Canada still produces the best hockey players in the world but it was in doubt for a long time.
Our thinking with the next generation needs re-engineering too. Make sure those young ones get a good education and make sure they know how to speak more than just English. My son tells me that he is out numbered at U of T by students from other lands and they work hard to get A's not coasting around like Jr. They know where to get the best education but we take it for granted. Everyone of my kids, 22, 19, 17 has travelled the world and that's huge in their development. The world is only a ten hour flight away and the lesson they learn are invaluable. Time for action not reaction friends.
Well-we'll try hard, the boys have been to europe and back a couple times, not limited to two langauges or the third the school board teaches. Education has never hurt anyone ever, travel hasn't either-those who can't do that-should we leave them behind ? nice to think our standard of living is too high to support manufacturing jobs but everyone has to work somewhere, we can't all be executives-there should be a place for all-we will be too dependant on imports.
education in communication/two or three languages-lotsa call centers here I guess
GM was the first out with the electric car. With the EV 1 they bought the rights to a new battery. California came out with the law and backed down after the automakers took them to court. Also the federal govt paid money to the automakers to help and the oil companies. So the State dropped it's bill and every EV 1 was rounded up and crushed and the plant was closed. I think it became the Hummer plant. Guess who GM sold the battery rights to.......you got it an oil company. They were stupid back then and even worse now. With the Volt. I think Toyota is coming out with a hybrid electric that will kill the volt in sales
I still stand by what I said, If you want to continue to ship your $$$ to asia that's your business. I am entitled to my opinion and nobody will change it. If you are hungry and out of work, EAT YOUR tOYOTA!!
