17.4 billion USD drained into lake Erie

There are many jobs at risk in Detroit. For centuries GM, Ford and Chrysler have relied on big cars with little fuel-efficiency. Fair enough, if enough consumers are buying those, but apparently they do not. Corporations offering products that are not longer sought after are seen every day, everywhere. They file for bankrupcy and go out of business or restructure and come back with a new business model.

Why then does Congress alongside with the Bush administration pour 17.4 billion greenbacks into these car manufacturers? It will not change the basic environment. The UAW ensures that wages per hour are fifty percent higher than for other auto workers employed by foreign companies like Toyota. So instead of pouring money into a failing system, it makes more sense to file for Chapter 11, restructure the business, slash cost, create new models that are competitive on the market and then lead a healthy life of a sound corporation. That will not happen though when money is being granted to early. Who will make the concessions necessary to turn the American car business around then?

It took a Margaret Thatcher to transform the british industry in the early 80s and "redefine" the role of the trade unions. Who could do that job for Detroit? Welcome Barack Obama.