The government probably was no help here. The government put in a pay freeze at all the heavy-industry corporations in World War II. Which meant that the corporations, in order to attract the workers that we had to have to build our planes and tanks and Jeeps, had to provide benefit packages. That's where health care comes from. It didn't exist before World War II. So you wound up with these benefit packages. And then there are the demographic accidents to factor in. The guys that built the cars were all supposed to drop dead at 67, and their wives were supposed to live to be maybe 72. Now everyone lives to 110. [Laughter.] There's plenty of blame to go around.
Is it un-American to buy foreign cars?
No. About half the stuff that's in your [American] car is foreign-made — whether you know it or not. And the foreign car you buy may well be made in Mississippi.
What's the scariest place you've ever driven?
India wins hands down. About 10 years ago, I drove the Grand Trunk Road from Islamabad to Calcutta — the same road that is featured in Kipling's Kim — and the same elephants and camels are still on it, plus a lot of other things. It was absolutely terrifying.
Does the car a man — or a boy — drives define him sexually?
Not any more. I was driving home from the airport the other day and somebody blew me off, cut me off, and screeched away. I was a little ticked. I didn't quite rise to road rage — it was more like road irk. I caught up with him at the next stoplight. I looked over and it was this young, obviously macho guy — bunch of ink, and a lot of product in the hair — driving a Subaru Forester. Now the first thing, I was pretty embarrassed that my big old Detroit iron got blown off by a Subaru Forester in the first place. [Laughter] Second place, just a very few years ago, I think that this guy probably would have been caught dead wearing ladies' underwear before he'd ever be caught driving a Forester.
Related:
A great little performer, Due Dilla-gence, Car talk, More 
- A great little performer
If this doesn't convince you that no one with lotsa bucks plays by the rules, and that insider trading is rife on Wall Street, along with obscene bonuses collected by what are essentially crooks, with no morals, at most big lending institutions, how would you like to buy that bridge to Brooklyn at the lower end of Manhattan?
- Due Dilla-gence
Extraordinarily missed Detroit beat stylist J Dilla (a/k/a Jay Dee) was righteously benevolent.
- Car talk
President Barack Obama did the right thing in ousting Rick Wagoner as head man at General Motors. Already there are a few encouraging signs that the GM community realizes it is time to step on the accelerator.
- Boys' life
The premise for HBO's new half-hour comedy Hung (Sundays at 10 pm) is so over-the-top as to be cringe-worthy: high school basketball coach Ray Drecker (Thomas Jane), divorced and broke, starts whoring himself to ladies on the basis of his giant schlong. I know: ugh.
- Less
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Books
, Business, Jobs and Labor, Detroit, More
, Business, Jobs and Labor, Detroit, Labor Unions, Mark Twain, United Auto Workers, OPEC, Subaru Forester, Less
