supply vs demand – the planet is producing some 34 million more cars per year than needed (http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_02/b4115040763998.htm)

it seems pretty obvious to me that some of this productive capacity is going to go away

its all well and good to consider the jobs that will be lost as the auto industry right-sizes (remember that phrase?), but economic reality says the industry must be right-sized

~

… or we can continue to pretend that there is an unlimited supply of money that can be thrown at every declining industry in America …

subsidize the manufacturing of automobiles (auto industry bailout), subsidize the consumer to purchase automobiles (0% loans, tax incentives), subsidize the cost of gas so the consumer can drive automobiles (we pay this subsidy in the form of 140 military bases around the world), subsidize the cost of maintaining roads and highways (“shovel-ready jobs” anyone?) …