Detroit Bailout

I have been meaning to talk about this for quite a while. Now that I've finally mastered the art of providing myself "me time," by turning off electronic devices, sitting in my big over-sized chair and meditating, I find that there are plenty of hours in the day to get all accomplished that I need to...including blogging more regularly.

Now, back to this Bailout and my related thoughts. It is said repeatedly in the Bible that "...visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations..." I know that US motor companies, particularly Ford, stand as icons in American history as a testament to the ingenuity, entrepreneurship, and foresight that characterizes the American people. The publicized history of these corporations is a testament to "The American Dream" and the greatness one can achieve with a vision and hard work.

Beyond the inherent fallacies underlying the ease of pursuing "The American Dream," is there is much to be said about the untold history of these American motor companies. My maternal family is from the Detroit metro area. Generations of my family have worked for Ford Motor Company at some point in their lives and so I have been told a history of the company that many others don't know about.

My grandparents both moved up to the Detroit area from the South during the whole industrial revolution we read about in US History II back in high school. My grandfather worked hard at multiple jobs to provide for his wife and children, as well as to help his many brothers and sisters at home back in North Carolina. One of the jobs he worked was on the Ford assembly line - working hard, long hours doing the same job as his white co-workers, but being paid less than 25% of the pay they received. At the time of my mom's birth, the suburb my grandparents lived in was a shanty town of cardboard homes, setup by Ford - that's right, by Ford! Granted, the town has developed since then, and hopefully employees are being paid equally, regardless of race, but Ford literally built their empire on racist practices. They saved a ton of money by hiring numerous poor Blacks who were willing to take any job they could find in order to support their families (think US sweatshops full of Blacks).

Is it any surprise that a company built on a history of such racism is finally starting to feel the consequences of their actions? Do I think the current Ford owners, CEOs, top brass are racist or prejudice? I have no idea. I really wouldn't be surprised, but in all fairness, I have no data to make a claim either way. I'm sure many don't see what has happened in Motor City quite the way I view it, but this is my page to rant. I don't believe God honors a company based initially on such horrid practices, much the way I foresee a downfall of America in the near future. [aside: interestingly, when I discuss this notion of the sins of the fathers visiting the sons, people scoff, but when I use the term karma, everyone seems to agree...hmmm....]

Despite all this, I still have mixed feelings on The Bailout. I feel bad for the hundreds that have been laid off or who live in fear that they might lose their jobs at any moment. The ramifications of this economic crisis still astounds and saddens me. I know I should never take pleasure in another's misfortune, but I can't help but grin just a little bit and the shame brought up the heads of US Motor companies in the recent past. It's about time their shady selfish practices have been brought to light.