How Germany Builds Twice as Many Cars as the U.S. While Paying Its Workers Twice as Much

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Well, the issue here isn't whether German cars are better, just that the workers are better compensated while still being profitable. American cars have gotten much better in the last decade or so, but for awhile there, American automakers were putting most of their effort into larger, gas guzzling SUV's and trucks, leaving few options for consumers who wanted fuel economy. On the good side, they have since responded to the consumer demand and even these new crossover SUV's like the Equinox and Traverse get terrific gas mileage.

If I was in the market to purchase a new car, the one on the top of my list would the Chevy Volt, followed by the hybrid Ford Fusion which gets 40mpg. The newer designs are dramatic improvements over the ugly small cars they were making just a decade ago.

Part of the demise of the American auto industry was the cost of providing benefits to employees, particularly health benefits and benefits for retired workers. If memory serves me correct, it was close to $2000 per vehicle produced.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Why do Americans want more economical cars when gasoline is dirt cheap and they don't believe in global warming anyway ?

Doesn't make sense

Believe or not, a majority of Americans do accept the science of Global Warming, but you wouldn't believe based on the number of yahoo denialists that tend to congregate here.

Part of the demise of the American auto industry was the cost of providing benefits to employees, particularly health benefits and benefits for retired workers. If memory serves me correct, it was close to $2000 per vehicle produced.

Yeah, well you know what the progressive answer to that problem is - universal coverage, which would lower health care costs in this country to more be more comparable to the rest of the developed countries.

[Captain Oates 911]

Part of the demise of the American auto industry was the cost of providing benefits to employees, particularly health benefits and benefits for retired workers. If memory serves me correct, it was close to $2000 per vehicle produced.

The bums should have all their benefits and medicare and pension and dental and everything removed.

They can live in their old Ford cars like George Washington had to do. Didn't do him any harm - in fact it was the pathway to happiness - and whats wrong with whittling your own teeth from good 'ole American hickory ?

If that's what it takes to get the job creators back in profit, then so be it...

Europeans are incapable of thinking like that, and so it will be easy for our job creators to become richer than theirs - which is the meaning and objective of life after all

[웃 910]

The bums should have all their benefits and medicare and pension and dental and everything removed.

They can live in their old Ford cars like George Washington had to do. Didn't do him any harm - in fact it was the pathway to happiness - and whats wrong with whittling your own teeth from good 'ole American hickory ?

If that's what it takes to get the job creators back in profit, then so be it...

Europeans are incapable of thinking like that, and so it will be easy for our job creators to become richer than theirs - which is the meaning and objective of life after all

I've been watching Animal Planet a lot lately. Most of the stars of the show have all their front teeth missing, carry shotguns, and drive over-sized pick up trucks with 35 inch tires.

One of the new hit shows:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZo6EdEUwWI

[Captain Oates 911]

I've been watching Animal Planet a lot lately. Most of the stars of the show have all their front teeth missing, carry shotguns, and drive over-sized pick up trucks with 35 inch tires.

One of the new hit shows:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZo6EdEUwWI

What foreigners don't appreciate is that the US is one country indivisible under god in name only - and that the difference between living in Seattle or Boston compared to Lagrange Georgia, or Jackson Mississippi, is far greater than the difference between living in say Stockholm or Munich

The states really are like countries, bound together by certain cultural shared links like baseball and football.

With right to work laws (ban unions) in some states, and not in others, the comparison has to be between Germany and State X or State Y in the USA

At that stage we then look at the attributes of the available work force as a trade off with their local cost

Going after the lowest unit cost that is compatible with a half decent final product is not the way to go - but its the way we are going

Its the Walmartianisation of America and an attempt to use cheap American labor to compete with cheap Oriental/South American labor - a losing battle

[Ban Hammer 13,349]

Buy American.

i do, i do! all made in canada. that's american

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

i do, i do! all made in canada. that's american

Buy Japanese. And I don't mean the stuff they sell as Japanese built in America. My last Toyota was built in Japan, and even though finding the correct parts was a little difficult at times, the vehicle was built heavier and sturdier, from the wheel bearings and hubs on up.

[Captain Oates 911]

Buy Japanese. And I don't mean the stuff they sell as Japanese built in America. My last Toyota was built in Japan, and even though finding the correct parts was a little difficult at times, the vehicle was built heavier and sturdier, from the wheel bearings and hubs on up.

In the 60's I used to buy English motorcycles. I bought a brand new 1966 BSA 250 sports for cash.

I remember seeing the first Honda 250 superdream and everyone said they would burn out in 6 months at those high revs. They didn't. Since then I only buy Japanese - Suzuki 1200's mainly - that's as tough as they come.

I remember the first mini - they said those little wheels would go round twice as fast and the wheel bearing would burn out. They didn't.

The Americans like old Triumphs and Harley's but I have no nostalgia for that old junk. Pick up trucks are just the same to my eye - a hangover from the cuttin' the trees down days and only driven by reactionaries and conservatives..

American pick up trucks belong in Newt's world of kids up chimneys and restaurants being free to turn away people on any grounds, and no unions and sick people dying at the gates of hospitals if they aren't executed first by the Texans

Yes, gimme a BMW 5 series X drive.

Japanese motorbikes, German cars, West Irish women, Yorkshire fish and chips and Timothy Taylor's championship ales that I will be bucketing all next week.

The Germans have never had a space shuttle break up either at launch or re-entry

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Sorry about that Kathryn, I was not thinking of any race when I made that comment - just certain bands of horrible people who rape and mutilate children in Africa. I see that on the telly and it is at the forefront of my mind sometimes.

The fact that they all do belong to one race, could make people think that it was a race motivated comment so I can understand you objecting to it.

I am struggling to come to terms with PC - where I can't say anything about the Germans eating boiled pigs knuckles without that being seen as racist, even though I am a fan of the Germans.

So the lesson is, that what I mean doesn't matter, it 's what other people think I might mean that is important nowadays - so I will have to practice more with that concept and succeed

I appreciate your response, but yours weren't the posts I was referencing when I left my warning. Thank you, though, for taking the warning to heart

Edited December 24, 2011 by Kathryn41

[Captain Oates 911]

I appreciate your response, but yours weren't the posts I was referencing when I left my warning. Thank you, though, for taking the warning to heart

Dash, that's bad news - it means I really do have paranoia

[spookyturtle 9,466]

The bums should have all their benefits and medicare and pension and dental and everything removed.

They can live in their old Ford cars like George Washington had to do. Didn't do him any harm - in fact it was the pathway to happiness - and whats wrong with whittling your own teeth from good 'ole American hickory ?

If that's what it takes to get the job creators back in profit, then so be it...

Europeans are incapable of thinking like that, and so it will be easy for our job creators to become richer than theirs - which is the meaning and objective of life after all

Think of something intelligent to post and get back to me.

[Captain Oates 911]

Think of something intelligent to post and get back to me.

It's the way of the future - emasculate the right wing by taking their loathsome philosophy to its ultimate conclusion

It was done effectively by Borat when he was cheered by the rodeo crowd when he said we should kill all the Iraqis - and then when he added "Yes, and we should eat their babies too", they started to have doubts, albeit small doubts

The right wing are not known for their intellectual depth, and they are unable to imagine what happens when their elderly parents have their social security and medicare privatized/voucherized

Perhaps its the case that their elderly relatives are not THEM, and so they don't really care as much as if gasoline for their pick up truck went up 30cents or ammo was harder to find

Please provide your own relevance to the thread subject

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Col. Martin Hessler: "Germans are still the best toy makers in the World!"

[spookyturtle 9,466]

It's the way of the future - emasculate the right wing by taking their loathsome philosophy to its ultimate conclusion

It was done effectively by Borat when he was cheered by the rodeo crowd when he said we should kill all the Iraqis - and then when he added "Yes, and we should eat their babies too", they started to have doubts, albeit small doubts

The right wing are not known for their intellectual depth, and they are unable to imagine what happens when their elderly parents have their social security and medicare privatized/voucherized

Perhaps its the case that their elderly relatives are not THEM, and so they don't really care as much as if gasoline for their pick up truck went up 30cents or ammo was harder to find

Please provide your own relevance to the thread subject

All joking aside, Merry Christmas to you and your family. I hope you can spend it with those who are dear to you.

[SuperDuper! 230]

Nobody drives pick up trucks except Americans - I find that really odd.

Its a cultural thing I guess. No European woman would get in a pick up truck in order not to look like granny Clampitt

Eating food with chop sticks or driving big numb pick up trucks is something foreigners do and it cant be explained

Even German Tanks are more fuel efficient now

Riding in a tank with the helmet on, just has a way of making a guy look like Snoopy!

Just ask Mike Dukakis. It cost him a chance at the presidency!

I bet Spooks would never make a mistake of such Nerd-dum.

Hi Spooks!

Edited December 24, 2011 by Boing!