Friday, December 19, 2008
Brinksmanship
Auto companies are stopping manufacturing. The White House is talking about "pre-packaged bankruptcy." One side is waiting for the other to blink on the issue of government help for the industry. This is about as high as the stakes get. I wrote yesterday about the need for the industry to find a way to better public relations with Americans. Today the same issue holds true for relations with the government.
There is an irony here as well. Republicans are supposed to be friends of big business, Democrats friends of the working man. The roles appear to be reversed although Democrats will claim they are worried about jobs in Detroit more than CEOs of auto companies. There is a chance the White House won't act and one or more of the Big Three files for Chapter 11 in the next couple of weeks. If that happens, the industry and American manufacturing will enter a new and uncharted course that will affect millions. What will be the messages to the American public then?
There is an irony here as well. Republicans are supposed to be friends of big business, Democrats friends of the working man. The roles appear to be reversed although Democrats will claim they are worried about jobs in Detroit more than CEOs of auto companies. There is a chance the White House won't act and one or more of the Big Three files for Chapter 11 in the next couple of weeks. If that happens, the industry and American manufacturing will enter a new and uncharted course that will affect millions. What will be the messages to the American public then?
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