I was just looking at a page proof for Sunday's Dallas Morning News letters page, and saw there's a big package of letters from our readers saying how they want to see Detroit fail. I haven't read the letters yet (the headline indicates that's what the majority of our letter writers are saying), but I thought: is there any other major American industry on the ropes that people would feel no particular remorse about seeing go under?
Why do so many people hate the American auto industry?
I think it's pretty simple. In my family, we drive a Ford minivan and a Honda Accord. Unlike the Ford, the Honda never has to go to the shop to be worked on, except for routine maintenance.
People know Japanese-made cars are reliable. I bought my first car not long after I graduated college in 1989. There was no question but that I was going to get a Japanese car. If you're old enough to remember the quality problems American marques had back then, you'll know why I made the choice that I did. I bought a Mazda 626. It was a great car. Next time I bought a car, it was a Honda Accord, in 1995. Also a terrific car, not a problem in the world.
Perhaps it's a generational thing, but it's so ingrained in me that Japanese cars are good and American cars are mediocre that buying that Ford minivan required overcoming a deep bias against American cars. I read reports that American cars have made huge leaps in quality since my youth, and I find it hard to believe. Choosing a Ford minivan was easier because we couldn't afford a Honda Odyssey, and the Ford came relatively cheap. And I regret the choice I made every time we have to take the Ford in for a fix. Fair or not, it reinforces a bias that was rational back when I started buying cars.
I think that accounts for a lot of the indifference -- foolish though it may be, I dunno -- that ordinary people have toward Detroit: bad experiences wiht Detroit-made cars. What think ye?
Add to Del.icio.us
Add to Technorati
Add to Digg
Add to Newsvine
Add to Facebook
Add to StumbleUpon
Subscribe
What if in return for federal aid, Chrysler, Ford and General Motors agreed to merge?
Freeway Threeway, or, Ménage D'etroit
I cannot comprehend why so many people hate Detroit. ____While I heavily disagree with any federal subsidies to businesses, the American Auto Industry is the backbone of the U.S. economy.____Disgarding the industry vs. agrarian life debate, we must admit that a strong industrial base IS the foundation of America's economic sovereignty and self-sufficiency. ____Many of the free traders boast, very gleefully in fact, of the auto industry going broke
Even if Americans built good cars that lasted years the outcome would still be the same. People would still buy foreign due to the fact that cars are more based on class now then they were in the 70s. American cars lack class, boring designs,reliability,. A rich person would probably want a mercedes,bmw,audi etc... While an middle class person would want a acura,infiniti,cadillac etc..... and a poor person would want whatever moves. The problem is a rich person wants to drive something that shows his wealth a mercedes(feels more important than the middle class guy and poor guy). The middle class guy wants the rich guys car but settles for less a cadillac (fells more important than the poor guy but closer to the rich guy). The poor guy wants the two but settles for a geo(No Respect). Just The way the way foreign car makers want it.
Domestic to americans=poor Foreign to us= Rich/middle class
i think you have it right. people don't hate detroit. they just think it is irrelevant.
Why People Hate Christian Conservatives.
No compassion. Care more about money than the millions of people that rely on the American auto industry. CC are nothing like Jesus.
Post a Comment
By submitting these comments, I agree to the beliefnet.com terms of service, rules of conduct and privacy policy (the "agreements"). I understand and agree that any content I post is licensed to beliefnet.com and may be used by beliefnet.com in accordance with the agreements.