[quote=UCGal]Scarlet –
I’ve stayed out of this thread because I’m not that interested in who Jeff Bridges pimps for. Nor am I interested in the labels on cars – since it truly is a global economy when it comes to cars… parts from everywhere, “US” brands assembled in other countries, “foreign” brands assembled in the US.
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The point of this thread is that you should be interested in labels.
1) The American Big Three have 105 plants in the U.S. The foreign big three (Toyota, Honda and Nissan) have 24.
2)American-owned car companies get a significantly higher percentage of their parts from domestic sources compared to foreign-owned car companies.
3) America exports more motor vehicles and parts than the aerospace, medical equipment, and communications industries.
4) The U.S. auto industry provides health care for two million Americans and benefits for 775,000 retirees and surviving spouses.
5) The U.S. auto industry spent $12 billion in research and development last year alone, second only to the semiconductor industry.
Maybe you missed this so here it is again. You will not get an argument from foreign car makers; they admit that our US industry is more important to us and our well being than foreign assembly plants:
“In the briefing to other Toyota managers, Sudo (Seiichi (Sean) Sudo, president of Toyota Engineering & Manufacturing in North America.) cited political and social risks. The report, left unsecured on computers at the company’s Georgetown, Ky., complex, said Toyota could come under fire for:
• Selling vehicles to U.S. customers with high proportions of foreign-made parts. Less than half of all content of Toyota vehicles sold in the United States is made in the United States or Canada.
• Not including enough minority-owned businesses in its supplier base. The Rev. Jesse Jackson, leader of the Rainbow PUSH activist group, has asked Toyota to improve diversity efforts.
• Leaving a vacuum in U.S. communities as GM, Ford, Chrysler and their suppliers shed plants and workers.”
