Apple Inc (AAPL)

[Tex]

OT re Big 3 as Airbus

The problem with AirBus ... has it ever made any money? Last I heard, it was behinder on its next plane than is used to be. There are too many masters, and I am concerned everyone wants it as an employer more than as a going concern, so it's a continual risk of being cash sink. (Or a massive tax break, which because it is government owned is the same thing; you cal lose revenue from a going concern by giving it tax breaks, or you can just keep refilling its accounts with cash after taxes ... haha, but you can also in a bad year do both!)

As a going concern, The Big 3 would need to be shrunk to profitability, and their value as a government holding would evaporate: no longer a big jobs machine, it would be irrelevant. As a big employer, they would need massive subsidies -- which would inure to the benefit of a minority of US citizens, becoming quickly a super-favored special interest as the companies and their union got a federal guarantee of an operating budget and a steady stream of dues. Given the market they're in, I strongly feel they should be forced to redesign to break even before they should qualify for any of my money.

I have a relative who used to threaten to move to Australia when he got worked up over government here. Maybe Australia isn't a better answer, but I can kinda see where he was coming from ....

Take care,
--Tex.