By coincidence, I was just reading Mitt Romney's "thoughts" on this subject (Reply #26)

In the discussion thread: Germany Explodes Republican Myth [View all]

Fri Dec 23, 2011, 07:35 AM

Jim Lane (11,175 posts)

26. By coincidence, I was just reading Mitt Romney's "thoughts" on this subject

The son of the former head of American Motors should at least be able to say something sensible about automobiles, right?

Well, maybe not.

In Romneyland, foreign manufacturers have a "cost advantage" over American manufacturers of about $2,000 per vehicle. What are the sources of this difference? According to Romney, the three most important are:
1. The United Auto Workers (negotiated pension and health benefits for retirees).
2. The United Auto Workers again (negotiated wages and work rules).
3. The federal government's fuel economy standards.

This wisdom is dispensed at pages 117-18 of his book No Apology.

Pander much, Mitt?

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52 replies	Author	Time	Post
Germany Explodes Republican Myth [View all]	kpete	Dec 2011	OP
Very good read. Thanks for posting. nt	stillwaiting	Dec 2011	#1
+1 and have shared elsewhere.	freshwest	Dec 2011	#33
How much of these automakers' financial profitability comes from bringing jobs to the US	The Genealogist	Dec 2011	#2
Am I misunderstanding this factoid?	LiberalAndProud	Dec 2011	#19
I was talking about their profits	The Genealogist	Dec 2011	#37
So you suspect that German workers are doing well on the backs of U.S. autoworkers.	LiberalAndProud	Dec 2011	#39
Not just the US	DissedByBush	Dec 2011	#42
k&r for labor and for the truth. n/t	Laelth	Dec 2011	#3
+	underpants	Dec 2011	#4
Except that in 2010 US produced nearly 7.8 million automobiles, not 2.7 million	Fool Count	Dec 2011	#5
You are correct	dems_rightnow	Dec 2011	#7
your OCIA source says 2.7 million cars, same as the OP.	provis99	Dec 2011	#9
Perhaps it's cars vs commercial vehicles.	progressoid	Dec 2011	#10
that wikipedia article doesn't cite any sources.	provis99	Dec 2011	#8
It wasn't wrong, but misread. n/t	Fearless	Dec 2011	#11
"cars" not "automobiles"....?	kristopher	Dec 2011	#24
This nationmaster site is a big pile of crap.	Fool Count	Dec 2011	#27
Figures from the GERMAN Auto Manufacturers Association	econoclast	Dec 2011	#40
Ouch--that is an enormous discrepancy. nt	MADem	Dec 2011	#44
In the US top management likes a hierarchy	Turbineguy	Dec 2011	#6
Damn what I would do for $67/hour	Fearless	Dec 2011	#12
The $67/hr	usrname	Dec 2011	#43
Cost of living over there is no pic-a-nic, even with the health coverage.	MADem	Dec 2011	#45
Pizza Hut smells like a tourist trap...	Fearless	Dec 2011	#47
No more so than McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken or	MADem	Dec 2011	#48
Well...	Fearless	Dec 2011	#49
I can understand.	MADem	Dec 2011	#50
K&R Love this!!!!	stevenleser	Dec 2011	#13
They have an actual industrial policy. A better model. I nail rabid cons I know with this.	Populist_Prole	Dec 2011	#14
As are the socialist countries of Scandinavia	Lydia Leftcoast	Dec 2011	#15
We had a choice int he past 20 years - compete w/ Europe or China/India	elehhhhna	Dec 2011	#29
Recommended bigtime!	Bozita	Dec 2011	#16
K. & R.	Rochester	Dec 2011	#17
govt health coverage.	pansypoo53219	Dec 2011	#18
they also have apprenticeships-that PAY MONEY even, we should be more like Germany & Canada	StarsInHerHair	Dec 2011	#20
We have apprenticeships that pay you while you learn - but hard work isn't held in high regard	Edweird	Dec 2011	#23
I was just reading a post on a technical forum about this..	Fumesucker	Dec 2011	#21
This, perhaps, deserves it's own post.	AllyCat	Dec 2011	#31
K&R	Lunabelle	Dec 2011	#22
"Germany ... an economic model with more bottom-up worker control than that of any other country..."	pampango	Dec 2011	#25
By coincidence, I was just reading Mitt Romney's "thoughts" on this subject	Jim Lane	Dec 2011	#26
k&r	Starry Messenger	Dec 2011	#28
This is fascinating. Bookmarked for reference later when talking to wing nuts	AllyCat	Dec 2011	#30
K & R	freshwest	Dec 2011	#32
Approximately 5% unemployment rate even in the downturn	hootinholler	Dec 2011	#34
K&R please read	abelenkpe	Dec 2011	#35
But, we only pay 20-30% on less and they pay 50% in taxes on it all.	Festivito	Dec 2011	#36
K&R (n/t)	a2liberal	Dec 2011	#38
They can afford to pay people better in Germany because their CEO's and other 1% don't take as much.	limpyhobbler	Dec 2011	#41
I did an in-depth study of free speech rights and of employee's rights of representation	JDPriestly	Dec 2011	#46
du rec. nt	xchrom	Dec 2011	#51
K&R	krispos42	Dec 2011	#52

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