I think the real issue is that we have not figured out what to do with all the people that lose their jobs and the effect it has on other businesses around.

That is the real issue, because the people that no longer don't have a income don't disappear. We really need to figure out how to make the transition and its not just with factory workers, technology is driving a lot of people out of work.

Many years ago I was in China (as a supplier to Shanghai GM), and seen people doing some work. I laughed and told my Chinese resident engineer in America we would automate that. He looked at me and asked

"But what do you do with the people then?". Very good point.

Ok that is weird a picture of me and my team just popped up on the computer, we were on a Chinese bus! Right after I posted the above!!!!!!!

Yeah, that goes for most of the automakers though. Why do they always have to look like a roller skate? Do they always have to have a Start Ship Enterprise themed body style?

I do know that GM recently put an insane amount of money into the truck and suv lines, a lot of which hasnt even hit the show room yet.. And that info isnt internet conjecture, It's straight from one of the senior engineers that was working on it, GM also has a lot invested in autonomous extreme efficiency military vehicle research next generation stuff.... that last sentence will self destruct in 5-4-3-2..........

As a retired DoD employee which dealt with many contractor's, there were none of them not making lots of coin doing research for the Military

Company's can't make dependable window switches, but they can make self driving cars that zip down the freeway at 70 mph... whats wrong with this picture?? lol

Bad Mojo
 

Agree with the sentiment but truthfully, there would have been a huge economic impact with that scenario. A lot of support manufacturing and sub contracting would have been lost also.That would practically guarantee a depression, not a recession as experienced. I feel the bailouts to GM and Chrysler were generally worthwhile, the problem is GM's selfish, consistently flawed business plan which disregards the efforts by President Trump and the American taxpayers in general, and their workers specifically. GM should have had a contingency plan in place that would have softened the blow a month before Christmas! The song remains the same at GM, profits first, deception second, workers a distant third.