Republicans Failed Automakers And America

[BoyGenius]

/Snip

If ever a city stood as a symbol of the dynamic U.S. economy, it was Detroit. It was not pretty. It was, in fact, a combination of the grey and the garish: its downtown area was a warren of dingy, twisting streets; the used-car lots along Livernois Avenue raised an aurora of neon. But Detroit cared less about how it looked than about what it did—and it did plenty. In two world wars, it served as an arsenal of democracy. In the auto boom after World War II. Detroit put the U.S. on wheels as it had never been before. Prosperity seemed bound to go on forever—but it didn't, and Detroit is now in trouble.

Detroit's decline has been going on for a long while. Auto production soared to an alltime peak in 1955—but there were already worrisome signs. In the face of growing foreign and domestic competition, auto companies merged, or quit, or moved out of town to get closer to markets. Automation began replacing workers in the plants that remained. In the past seven years, Chrysler, the city's biggest employer, has dropped from 130,000 to 50,000 workers. At the depth of the 1958 recession, when Detroit really began reeling. 20% of the city's work force was unemployed. Even today, the figure is an estimated 10%, and the U.S. Government lists Detroit as an area of "substantial and persistent unemployment.''

Decline in Detroit - TIME

[MMDad]

Hmmmmmm....

Which party caters to the UAW the most?

Not that there's much difference between the 'rats and 'pubs when it comes to kissing up to unions, but if you're going to blame anyone for killing Detroit it has to start with the UAW and the politicians they bought. If you ever want to meet some of those politicians, there's one living at 1600 Pennsylvania, one at the USNO, one running the House, and one running the Senate.

[Lenny]

Originally Posted by BoyGenius

/Snip
Decline in Detroit - TIME

This author really got it wrong in the first three sentences.

It was not pretty. It was, in fact, a combination of the grey and the garish:

He must be one of those color-blind liberals who can't quite see the color of the pot as a real explanation of what Detroit's problem is.

[chernmax]

This is one of the best smiles:

[BoyGenius]

Originally Posted by chernmax

This is one of the best smiles:

Bumpy.

[chernmax]

Originally Posted by BoyGenius

Bumpy.

Banana!!!

[Lenny]

Originally Posted by chernmax

Banana!!!

Butthead!

[BoyGenius]

This is a good read. The article is from 1961.

[Lenny]

Originally Posted by BoyGenius

This is a good read. The article is from 1961.

The link to Q&A: Darryl Strawberry was a clue.