I spent the week pretty listless. For some reason, I can't sleep well. Maybe it's because Ken (Low) told me of a girl that I used to like being on Facebook. She has not accepted my request yet. Maybe she's angry still, or whatever. The problem is, I am as disinterested as I'm interested. The thing is open dialogue, and I can't seem to get it out directly. I've been more vocal since I'm in US, not because of training, but because of sheer disparity.
Anyway, its not a big deal. I'm out of the market, mostly. Made a small step to recover my losses. Jammed the brakes on my story writing. Man, I just can't seem to get the right stuff together.
But most important of the week is work. Seems like even my company is scrambling for the financial fracture. Not that we have not warned against it, but there is a thin line between optimism and being wishful, and a thin line between realistic and pessimism. My take is to take everything and plan diversifying routes to consolidate the foundation.
Oh, I read a lot about the automakers this week. I'm against the bailout and most of the week, I'm very angry by the unrepentant autoworkers demanding a piece of the bailout that went to the financial sector. Financial sector is where all the liquidity comes, so they have a stronger case for help than any other sector. Automakers in that sense has less argument, the "Beggar" Three has no argument. But I must say, I'm not unsympathetic for the workers, except that there are always bad sheep who are no different from robbers and pirates demanding their ways of life to be the same without regards to the rest of the world.
The "Beggar" Three must fail, but probably not as a total collapse. Some point that business will cease completely, I don't see it as that. To go out of business immediately, they will have to go through a lot of paperwork, lawsuit and usual shenanigan that has brought this chaos. Then factories get sold, business units get sold and all those money will fall back to the company books to clear off the debt. Of course, the unfortunate part is that workers will get cut.
But here's the part that makes their failure a must. Sustainability. Right now, live or die, they need to pay for the legacy contracts to UAW. They can cut the new workers easily which they will do mercilessly even with a bailout. Now, we want to save the jobs where people are willing to work hard for, not the ones that people won't. With the Jobs Bank by UAW, we are practically paying for no productivity. As much as UAW did well in the past regarding safety and income for the workers, they have not done themselves any favor with the lack of productivity in recent years.
Regardless, the problem will continue one way or another. People get ahead and happy for themselves and let the foundation rot under them. Like the saying I like about forebears growing the tree for us? A good portion of these people are now sitting under the tree, enjoying and not growing more trees for their children. Naturally, that indicates that the bailout is definitely NOT the solution. Letting GM going under its own folly and weight IS.
Here is another perspective that I looked at. In Asia, the three companies are doing well. The image of lower quality did not seem to have affected them much. BUT, if the bailout happens here, what will the disparity be between the workers here and the workers in other countries building the same machines under the same company. No one can say the machines built overseas are worse, because it has always been known to be opposite. Assuming that the quality thing is reversed, what will the bailout add to their productivity overseas. Negative, since HQ always gets better stuff, why work harder? Also, the other companies will ask the respective companies to bail them out when they don't need to, and the three automakers will still DIE from fierce competition, simply because they are that bad!
That is my hunch, but it has not worked disastrous so far. Bad maybe, but mostly in the ballpark.
Anyway, I read that Goldman Sachs has renounced bonuses for their executives, citing from the executives themselves that it is the right thing to do. In fact, IT IS! See, Goldman is the best of the bunch, and they will put weight on others not to follow suit. Think of it as brand and confidence building. Now, that us see where "Actually Infectious Greed" will do. I'm sure they will do the same "see, no bonus" trick but announce the annual salary to by twice that of Goldman's people. I rather trust Goldman. Sachs I mean.
Last but not least, sport. Everton...Draw. Pats...Lost. Pistons...Won a few but may lose the Suns game...Not a lot to be happy about, but I did turn green in my investments. Now, to add more productivity in office. I rather have my job two years from now than simply ask for bailout, but improving the company's sustainability!
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