Comments on: Revolting: GM Executive Bob Lutz Denies Global Warming, Trashes His Company’s Car

By: beltman713

beltman713 — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:46:48 +0000

Even if you don’t believe in global warming, electric cars are still a good idea from a, get-us-off-of-foreign-oil, perspective.

By: dreadpiraterobert

dreadpiraterobert — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:24:33 +0000

Oh, I’m defending Luddites, by the way, not Chairman Putz. It’s insulting to Luddites to compare them to him.

By: dreadpiraterobert

dreadpiraterobert — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:22:06 +0000

Hmmm… another interpretation of “Luddite” might be to look at what they were protesting, namely the industrialization and mass production of goods that were formerly produced by hand.

In hindsight, you might say that the Luddites were the forerunners of the anti-globalization movement. I’ve got a hand-knitted sweater (made by the owner of the sheep that provide the wool) and it’s a much higher quality than the sweaters you buy at Wal-Mart.

C’mon, compare a piece of chocolate made by an independent chocolatier in their own shop to a Hershey bar and tell me they were so wrong.

By: ConcernedParent

ConcernedParent — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:20:09 +0000

One only has to look at the abysmal record of GM as a car company to see where Lutz is coming from. I say let him peddle his lunacy, american cars really suck anyway and is time for one of them to close. Just a reminder to all of those wack jobs out there, there are plenty of “foreign” cars made in this country as well that actually serve the needs of the consumer.

By: radiofreebcj

radiofreebcj — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:14:11 +0000

If you think that interview was interesting, you should see him squirm on “The Hour with George Strombolopolous”, one of Canada’s top-rated talk shows. George didn’t pull any punches, and when Bob pleaded the 5th Amendment to avoid a global warming question, George reminded him that he wasn’t in the US.

Link to interview:
http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/videos.html?id=859964433

By: Michael Lafferty

Michael Lafferty — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 21:45:22 +0000

Okay, that wasn’t me. I swear.

@3 above belongs beneath @5 below it. Who turned back the clock?

Are Republican operatives running around loose? Or, is everything just over, under sideways, down in this ridiculous campaign season?

By: Michael Lafferty

Michael Lafferty — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 21:39:25 +0000

Um, yeah: ’cause I always look for a rational, scientific explanation to someone who lines his wallet with my money and therefore is likely—in the extreme—to ignore available evidence and say whatever will result in his pocket being fattened.

And, while we’re on that subject… a 45 billion dollar bailout for the US automobile industry? What, so morons like Bob Lutz can continue to collect performance related bonuses and ridiculously high salaries for driving these historic [some might now reasonably say, prehistoric] American manufacturing powerhouses into the ground?

Where’s Senator McCain on this? Oh, yeah – he supports the bailout, purportedly as a dike against job losses. Uh, huh. Okay, if you say so. Like the American automobile never exported a US job?

By: Max Gladwell

Max Gladwell — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 21:29:26 +0000

It’s sweet justice that Toyota and Honda are eating GM’s and Ford’s lunch. This history of this is just laughable: http://www.maxgladwell.com/2008/08/gm-could-be-serious-about-gas-free-a-look-at-the-history-behind-the-chevy-volt/

Consistently making the worst business decisions for shareholders, employees, and the public. They need to collapse or get acquired by the Chinese, which has stricter fuel economy standards than the US.

By: Michael Lafferty

Michael Lafferty — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 21:16:23 +0000

“Like the American automobile never exported a US job?”

Er, that should have read “Like the American automobile industry never exported a US job?”

Sometimes it’s hard to proofread through the rage…

By: Dave D

Dave D — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:45:06 +0000

I’m confused why you call him a Luddite–that’s usually a pejorative for environmentalists, one some even embrace since the original Luddites fought new technology that put them out of work, delaying its implementation for years.

I see the “delaying” part in Lutz (and, having watched last night, was baffled why GM would send this idiot dinosaur to Colbert, when what they needed was a perky spokeswoman, whom Colbert could not have embarassed), but this is someone who instead is implementing technology that has societal goods, even as he ignorantly denies one of the main arguments for it.

Sure Americans want to save gas, and those of us who understnad peak oil even undertand why plug-ins would be better than current hybrids, but this guy, who admits this cute little car HIS OWN COMPANY WANTS PEOPLE TO BUY won’t entice the best looking women to look at the driver is simply not doing his job.

no Luddite is Bob Lutz. I’m one, and we don’t want him.

(Hard to imagine who might–besides Colbert. The interview was brilliant. and GM is doomed.)

By: Mugsy

Mugsy — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:31:47 +0000

If GM does come begging for a Federal Bailout… as many expect.. in the next few days/weeks/months, congress should attach a “fire Lutz first” clause.