On the 75th anniversary of the repeal of prohibition, I think I have the solution to make American car manufacturing profitable again … have Congress make US car companies illegal.
Yes, prohibition of US car companies might actually make them successful. Yes, I have the logic to back that statement up.
During prohibition, use of alcohol was still very popular. It was easy to get, and very profitable for the gangs that distributed booze. It was also good for tourism in countries that still sold alcohol … why bring the booze to America when you could bring Americans to the booze. The alcohol was lower quality than when it was legal, but few people seemed to care unless it was actually unhealthy to the consumer.
Once prohibition was repealed, alcohol regulation became a matter for the states. Different counties have different rules, but good quality alcohol from multiple sources is available on the market at multiple price points. The companies providing & distributing these products are profitable.
Look at the “war on drugs” and how much market demand it creates for illegal drugs. Drug use is still popular, drugs are easy to get and thousands of government jobs exist in a vain attempt to stop their inevitable distribution.
So why should the government bail out an unprofitable American-owned auto industry when it could ban it completely … Chrysler, GM & Ford could dump their illegal inventory on the black market where patriotic & freedom loving drivers would create demand for the sinful consumption of home-grown automobiles. It’s like moonshine with a spare tire & OnStar.
Prohibition of drugs & alcohol do not curb the demand … it can even be argued that they increase the demand, and they definitely increased the profit margins for the producers. The pious will drive their older American cars & new imports while true freedom loving Americans will manage to sneak 2009 models past the revenuers at the DMV.
Yes, it does sound ridiculous when you first look at it … but it makes a hell of a lot more sense then giving three failing businesses billions of dollars in the hopes they somehow pull through.
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