Great LTE re: Toyota in today's Detroit Free Press

[1gobluedem]

"Not workers’ fault

Toyota is running a series of TV ads in which they apolo­gize for not living up to what they describe as their “own high standards.” While they apologize, we are shown imag­es of American workers in American Toyota plants, as if they are to blame.

Toyota’s defective parts were designed in Tokyo. The quality of the manufactured parts was approved in Tokyo.

The decision to cover up the defect in order to maximize profits was made in Tokyo. If Toyota is sincere in its apology ads, then the top-ranking Jap­anese executives should be shown, instead of American workers.

Craig Handley

Rapid City"


Amen. The execs are still dodging blame.

[bird2]

1. beautiful. couldn't have said it better. thanks, craig.

[DainBramaged]

2. It all psychology games on their part, it always is

honda, has a car frame in the woods with birds and deer around it while they tell you how safe it is. What they are trying to tell you is that it is really green but it's made of steel and you want to think happy thoughts when you go to buy it. And that is the message. Same here. It's the workers fault, not Toyota's.

[dysfunctional press]

3. and yet....american auto workers always get blamed for lack of quality in american cars...

after all- they're just 'greedy and lazy' union members.

[liberal N proud]

4. We all know that propaganda works

And so does Toyota. Their adds are nothing more than propaganda intended to rebuild their illusion of quality.

[c brand]

5. Ford less than one year ago was forced to recall more than 4 million cars based on 550 vehicle FIRES

The recall concerned cruise-control deactivation switches that were installed in 16 million Fords. Part of the recall included nearly 1.1 million 1995-2003 Ford Windstar family van models.

Was there a congressional hearing?

[1gobluedem]

6. Maybe Ford issued the recall voluntarily

And wasn't forced by the government to do it. And maybe they didn't gloat over saving $100 million by cutting a deal with legislators two years before issuing the recall. And maybe they didn't blame the consumers.

[bird2]

7. Ford also got grilled by Congress 10 years ago over the Firestone issue...

...so Toyota is not being picked on. And Ford got grilled for months by Congress even though it didn't obfuscate, try to blame it on assembly line workers, hoodwink NHTSA then gloat about it, gleefully take taxpayer-funded cash for clunker money in the U.S. then make sure its government closed its doors to U.S. companies during the Japanese cash for clunkers campaign, and write secret memos (see Detroit Free Press article from a few years ago) outlining a detailed plan to drag down auto industry wage standards in the United States to further increase record-breaking profits at Toyota headquarters in Japan while laying off workers in the U.S. The list goes on and on. You're comparing apples with oranges.

[Heywood J]

8. The same company that put a price tag on human life? (nt)