smacking the feed hand

"Historically, the "Big Three" auto manufacturers (GM, Ford and Chrysler), focused purely on the larger and more profitable vehicles in the US and Canadian markets. Towards the end of the 1950s [insert 2000s], all three manufacturers realized that that former strategy would no longer work. Large automobiles were becoming increasingly expensive thanks to wage inflation [insert fuel prices], making smaller European cars such as Volvos and Volkswagens increasingly attractive. [insert Japanese, Korean, et al.]"

Those who do not learn from history, and all that. This is from the wikipedia entry for the Ford Falcon, which was produced in the 1960s. The brackets are mine.

There will be a shakedown. My brother-in-law works for Chrysler and we keep pressuring him to find a new job. Some friends still work for Ford and they're waiting for the announcement of who's getting hit in this round of layoffs. So it goes. My prediction is that at least one of these companies is going to pull a Pan Am.