Lessons Not Learned

[Surferbeetle]

Slap & Steve,

Thanks for the references...I am currently moving through the enjoyable Galbraith link and will have to chase down a copy of Phebe Marr's book Modern History of Iraq.

With respect to Government Agencies, Germany, China and Capitalism I ran across this article on the online German Newspaper Stern tonight: Chinesen wollen Opel mit allen Jobs

Da waren's plötzlich vier: Einen Tag vor der entscheidenden Sitzung im Kanzleramt taucht ein weiterer Interessent für den kriselnden Opel-Konzern auf. Der chinesische Autohersteller BAIC hat dem Wirtschaftsministerium offenbar ein äußerst verlockendes Angebot vorgelegt - angeblich soll kein einziger Job in Deutschland verloren gehen.

My quick translation:

And then it was suddenly four: One day before the decision-making meeting in the Kanzleramt another interested party surfaced in the brewing crisis of the Opel-Group. The Chinese auto manufacturer BAIC publicly presented the business ministry an extremely tempting proposal - apparently not one job in Germany will be lost.

So apparently Fiat, Magna, BAIC, and Ripplewood are now all duke-ing it out for the good pieces of GM...

Best,

Steve