When You're a Hammer

...everything looks like a nail.

"They" say that anyway. Congress is ripping into the Toyota quality issues and turning it into side show. A lot of this is reminding me of what happened to Firestone and Ford Explorers not to far back. I don't know exactly what Firestone did the pissed off the government so much that they went after them. In the case with Toyota, however, I do know why. And it has been a long time coming.

Our government has a vested, financial, interest in GM and Chrysler. Opportunity is knocking and they are going after it.

There is a little bit of everything going on here. No doubt that Toyota cut corners in recent years to become the largest automaker in the world. They said they were going for it, they went for it, they achieved it. Unfortunately for them, you can't be number one in the USofA unless you ARE the USA.

For a long time, say, since the late 1960s, our own government has beat down our US automakers with safety, fuel, (see CAFE) quality, positive Union laws et. all. I'm still not really sure what was positively accomplished by what our own government did in the 70s other then taking down number 1 (and 2 and 3). I do know that our cars are safer now, but I don't think it is due to what our government did. It was more to due with the fact that Honda, VW, Toyota where making better cars. Oh, and that gas shortage thing.

But really, after the shortage "progressive" folks (as they are called on MSNBC) stuck with foreign cars. Hard to blame them. The big three failed to evolve (engineer) fast enough and fell behind for good in the 60s. Be it Union contracts or government law, lack of innovation... it's hard to pinpoint. It's probably all those things and more.

It's somewhat baffling to me what happened with Firestone. I sort of understand the Ford Explorer getting wrapped up in it. SUVs were racking in the money but the progressives thought they were killing the planet and running over their small cars.

Anyway, I'm rambling.

Toyota. You're just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Sorry buddy.

GM. Keep your head down. Way down. But not in your ass.

That's my advice.

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The picture I posted above is of Rhonda Smith. An 'everyman' who told a tale of her "possessed Toyota" at hearings recently. She later sold said car to another family, whom has driven it over 27,000 miles with no issues. (she failed to mention that part)