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Good on Larry to bring the writer/director of Roger and Me to talk about this catastrophe.
Mike’s remedy:
We’ve got a huge problem. That’s why government — this is a crisis. There’s a catastrophe about to happen and the government has to step in and say, just like Roosevelt did, this is what you’re building. This is how it’s going to be built. We’re going to have a mass transit system in this country. We’re going to bring back light rail. We’re going to build more subways. We’re going to build more buses. And we’re going to employ not only the people that are currently employed, but a lot of the people who have lost their jobs.
We need a huge works program. We need the infrastructure of General Motors and Ford and Chrysler. That’s why they can’t just — and they can’t file for bankruptcy, either, because once a company says they’re filing for bankruptcy, who’s going to buy a car from that company?
There’s no — I mean you’re like, jeez, I may not be able to get this car fixed next year if the company hasn’t come back. So bankruptcy isn’t the answer.
What I think is ironic and, again, hypocritical on the part of Congress, is that they’re not — they’re holding back. He can’t get the votes to bail out the auto companies because that’s going to help a lot of blue collar people — people that don’t have a voice, who don’t have lobbyists fighting for them on Capitol Hill.
But, boy, as soon as the banks or the financial institutions or the people that just gambled the money away — as soon as they were wanting some dough, boy, the trough just was laid out for them. Line right up, take whatever you want, sure, no problem. You know, everybody was there to vote for that.
But when it came time, now, to help the people, the working class of this country, it’s like, ah, I don’t know about that.
So, on one hand, there needs to be a program with money behind it to make sure that these people don’t lose their jobs. But we need to restructure these auto companies so they become mass transit companies and companies that build cars that are hybrid or much more fuel- efficient and better for the environment. That’s what the country needs. That’s what the world needs.
Mike ended his interview saying, “We’re seeing the end of capitalism — the end of capitalism as we know it. And I say good riddance.” Then, the next guest, Rep. Charlie Rangell starts with, “Why do you have me follow Michael Moore? ‘The end of capitalism’!” And he and Larry crack up. Now, that’s good television! [Transcript.]
As was seeing on C-Span those idiot CEOs get grilled like a cheese sandwich in the House and Senate, blasted repeatedly for flying in their private jets to come to Washington to rattle their tin cups.
Unfortunately, as th reporter who got the private jet story later told Anderson Cooper, they were completely unfazed by the outrage. They think they deserve and have earned all the money and perks and privilege they have. That’s why Michael Moore is right — the first stipulation of any bailout by the taxpayers is the elimination of top management.