Wednesday, November 19, 2008
The unthinkable auto bailout
$25 billion to save (maybe) the American automobile industry? "Unthinkable" according to many, if not most, in Washington and on the airwaves. $57 billion to continue the wars against the people of Iraq and Afghanistan through 2009? Also "unthinkable," although in a different sense of the word. Unthinkable in that no one in Washington (outside of Dennis Kucinich and a handful of others) will give it a second (or even a first) thought. Nor will they give much, if any, thought, to the overall war budget of $581 billion. Challenging that is also "unthinkable."
As far as the auto bailout, I suspect I'm actually opposed to it too. Not because I don't think saving jobs is a good idea, but because I have the sneaking suspicion that what this is really about is breaking the UAW, and taking the money out of the hide (and the pockets) and the autoworkers.
