Detroit Bailout Highlights an Industry That's Moved On

The government seems poised to bail out the auto industry, but there are two auto industries, writes Joseph White in the Wall Street Journal. There’s the unionized, drowning Big Three, stuck with ancient product strategies and huge retiree health obligations, and the non-unionized, mostly healthy foreign-owned manufacturers. This second group surely wouldn’t get any government cash, but they’re the ones with viable business models for the global economy.

GM’s plea for government help is proof that the old way of making cars is over. If the government props up these companies, it’ll risk delaying the restructuring they so desperately need. With global competition, companies can only expect 10%-15% market share, not the 29% GM is built for. “Does the government want to get into the business of subsidizing job cuts?” White wonders.
(More auto industry stories.)