If they're too big to be allowed to fail, they're too big to be allowed to exist. [View All]

[backscatter712]

So let me add some conditions to that multi-billion dollar bailout for the auto manufacturers.

In addition to being made to make green cars, in addition to treating their workers better, in addition to firing all the assholes in upper-management, I think that GM, Ford and Chrysler should be broken up.

Yep, you heard it. Broken up. If they're too big to be allowed to fail, something should be done so they're not so big that one of them going under would mean the economy goes in the shitter.

With GM, that's easy. Break it into several companies, named Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Saturn, etc. Ford can be broken up into Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, etc. Chrysler can be broken into Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler.

In other words, instead of three auto manufacturers, we have well over a dozen. Financial aid should be given to help the new little auto companies retool, but once that's done, they should all be forced to compete with each other. This would also have the virtue of opening up the auto markets so new small-business auto companies can enter the industry and have a chance of competing, without being squished by a big oligopoly. Smaller auto companies would also be by nature more agile, able to retool and make new products in response to customer demand, as opposed to today's situation of the oligopoly being highly resistant to retooling to make cars with new technology.

Oh, and put in some legislation that ensures that under no circumstances would the auto companies be allowed to merge or buy each other out.