WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Japanese and South Korean automakers registered the biggest market share gains in the U.S. government's "cash for clunkers" program that ended this week with bankruptcy related inventory shortages hurting General Motors Co and Chrysler.Those goddamn foreigners! The Toyota Corolla was the number one selling vehicle in the Cash for Clunkers program? And the Honda Civic and Toyota Camry were the second and third most? What's that all about?
Before I get too bummed out I guess I should do a little research on what is a foreign made vehicle.
Here is a list of 12 vehicles in alphabetical order. Six of them are manufactured (partly in some cases) and fully assembled in the U.S. The other six are manufactured (partly in some cases) and fully assembled outside the U.S. Go ahead and pick the ones, 'Made in the U.S.A'.
Cadillac - Escalade EXTGot your picks? Let's see how well you did.
Chevrolet - Silverado pick-up
Dodge - Ram pick-up
Ford - Fusion
GMC Sierra Crew Cab pick-up
Honda - Civic
Hyundia - Santa Fe
Lincoln - MKZ
Mazda - Mazda 6
Mitsubishi - Eclipse
Nissan - Ultima
Toyota - Corolla
The Cadillac Escalade, Chevy Silverado pick-up, Dodge Ram pick-up, Ford Fusion, GMC Sierra Crew Cab and the Lincoln MKZ are all assembled outside the United States. And yes, you guessed it; the Mazda 6, Nissan Ultima, Mitsubishi Eclipse, Hyundia Santa Fe and the number one selling Toyota Corolla and the number two Honda Civic, are 'Made in the U.S.A'! Made by American autoworkers. And the number three most sold, the Camry? You guessed it again, made in the U.S.A.
Now I don't know about you, but to me, it's not an American vehicle if it's not assembled here. I couldn't care less if William Clay Ford, Senior or Junior, get their bonuses this year. But I do care a lot if American auto workers are working and I don't care a bit what nameplate they put on the vehicles they assemble.
So when you hear the whiney deniers try to imply that the 700,000 vehicles sold under the Cash for Clunkers Program didn't work or benefited the wrong country, you can tell them they're full of shit. And then ask them why they're driving that fucking foreign piece of shit Ram pick-up truck!
And one last thing. The number one selling Toyota Corolla? Made in Fremont California by the UAW!
Great work, Mr. President! Your program did exactly what it was suppose to do; put American autoworkers to work. And to think; the meager $2.9 billion spent equals what we're wasting every 7 days in the Bush/Cheney Iraq Fiasco. That's 'change' you're a fool not to believe in.
"It depends upon what the meaning of the word 'is', is."
