print“General Motors Co is recalling 1.3 million compact cars in North America to address a power steering problem that has been linked to 14 crashes and one injury, the company said on Tuesday.”
Will Toyota’s inquisitors subject the state-owned manufacturer to the Rack? If they do, it’ll be for show—to stop tongues wagging. However, I don’t believe we can expect a Torquemada-style show-trial for GM.
Take into account the possibility the godawful Toyoda inquisition was nothing more than the protagonists chewing the scenery in a scripted melodrama and you are left with the very real possibility that all these recalls are government inspired make work programs.
Obama administration unveils new economic plan that will save two million jobs: “boost the economy – break a window”.
They’re too busy concentrating on tearing down Toyota. “http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100302/ap_on_bi_ge/toyota_recall” to concern themselves with that, even though the GM recall is approximately the same size as Toyota’s.
“Will Toyota’s inquisitors subject the state-owned manufacturer to the Rack?”
Depends on whether they are designated as potential terrorists or not. The rack and screw were the milder forms of state sponsored enhanced interogation techniques so popular today in the perpetual war against terrorists. If nothing else, the occassion can be used to demonstrate our procilivity of mistaking torture for a truth seeking necessity.
I would not be surprised if there were more accidents due to people driving unfamiliar loaner cars during these Mega-recalls than from the less than 0.01 percent flaws of people driving their own cars.
Government has no authority to be in the car (or any other) business. They should operate courts to adjudicate legitimate tort claims of negligence when such arise.
An auto company operated by the government is not necessarily prone to quality recalls. But, when one considers the record of incompetence, failure and corruption that follows the efforts of the government to operate anything larger than a hot dog stand we should not be surprised at GM’s flubbery.