A Message To Rick Wagoner
The comments listed below are posted to Rick Wagoner on the GM “Socrates” message board. It was submitted to Overthehillcarpeople.com by Don Thomsen dthomsen@centurytel.net . We agree with Don’s comments about the core of this message: “…….however the message may have some real merit. The interesting challenge in this article is how do we change perceptions of such a negative element in our society. Perceptions have a strong propensity to become reality to one extent or another.”
We would appreciate your comments and thoughts about this message. Tell us how you think we can help GM and other American “Owned” companies to turn this “freight train” around, before it’s too late!!!
Please post your comments about this message on the "Discussion Bulletin Board" by clicking here: The "media bashing" of American owned companies! or E-mail to:
Author:
Anonymous
Location: N/A
“Rick,
I believe all employees understand the current state of the business and the
competitiveness in the industry. I am certainly in agreement that legacy and
health care costs, as well as, unfair business practices by our competitors are
hurting, not just GM but, all American companies. The fact that our government
is not addressing these issues and leaving the doors wide open for a larger
trade imbalance is very disturbing to me.
My feeling, however, is that there is a deeper rooted cause for the current business climate and mass exodus of jobs from the country that affects the domestic auto companies in particular. We now have two younger generations of people in the United States who have been, what I call, "media brainwashed.”
If you look back 30-40 years, nobody in this country would buy Japanese or Chinese products because they were basically junk. Of course they have completely turned that around. This, as we know at GM, has forced us to step up our quality to be competitive. The general public, however, doesn't see it that way. Why? My feeling is that the "media bashing" of American companies, the auto industry in particular, began about 20 years ago as foreign countries stepped it up. More and more newspapers, magazines and TV jumped on the anti-American bandwagon.
Consequently, we have a large segment of the population who now have the perceived notion that anything the Japanese or Europeans produce are far superior to anything made here. It doesn't seem to matter what those products might look like either (especially cars). I become very defensive when I hear this bashing and sentiment out in public.
I'm not sure how we turn this around but, I am trying to do it one step at a time. I inform people that every time you purchase a foreign product you are sending more money and jobs out of the country. I call it "death by a thousand cuts".
The biggest challenge is somehow turning the media around. I'm not sure how this could be accomplished. I realize that producing great products is one way to win back customers but, I think a "re-education" of future generations needs to occur also in order to get back the "American Quality" perception we once had. People of your influence, along with government, must be the ones to get this done!”
*****Overthehillcarpeople.com will do everything in our power to inform the American public and try to turn this “freight train” around. We must or our kids and grand kids will see the complete destruction of America from within its own borders, by Americans!
Please forward this message to every American you believe will be concerned about their country and its people.