Author Topic: FW: What do Americans Think? (Read 365 times)

Midnight · « **on:** February 04, 2002, 08:16:07 AM »

I am Forwarding this message. Need to research the facts, but interesting if true.

Looking like this is a hoax/propaganda. Sorry to have posted before I actually did research. My bad.

Prolly some true, some not. I don't have time to go through all of them though.

_____________________________ ______________________

Original Message

Subject: What do Americans think?

Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2002 16:48:29 EST

I'm sure that you will find this interesting. It concerns the philanthropic contributions to the needs and relief of the families of the victims of the attack on the Twin Towers Sept. 11, 2001.

This list concerns such contributions from Automobile and Motorcycle Manufacturers...

Daimler-Chrysler-----------------------------------$10,000,000
Ford-Matching contributions from employees----------$1,000,000
General Motors--Matching employees contributions----$1,000,000
Hyundai-----------------------------------------------$300,000
Volkswagen------------------------------------------$2,000,000
Harley Davidson-------------------------------------$2,000,000 + 30 motorcycles to NYPD

TOTAL----------------------------------------------$16,300,000 + 30 Motorcycles (@ $25,000 each)

Subaru-------------------------------$0
Suzuki-------------------------------$0
Toyota-------------------------------$0
Audi---------------------------------$0
BMW----------------------------------$0
Fiat---------------------------------$0
Honda--------------------------------$0
Isuzu--------------------------------$0
Mitsubishi---------------------------$0
Nissan-------------------------------$0
Porsche------------------------------$0

TOTAL--------------------------------$0

I believe this factual picture speaks for itself. Each of these companies have made millions upon billions from the auto buyers in this country. Their contributions to relief for the families of the victims of this attack speak clearly as to what they think of this country, the people in it and those victims.

I personally believe they should be rewarded respectively for their good will and/or their indifference. With the freedom to purchase any automobile, used or new, in the hands of John and Jane Q. Public, it would seem to me that the choice is quite apparent, unless of course we feel nothing, 0, for those families of victims, as those 12 $0 auto companies feel.

It is time I believe for Americans to speak out and speak out with their dollars. Those who donated, I believe have earned our respect and those who didn't should have earned our disgust.

Please send this on to everyone in your address book and urge them to do likewise. My hope is that all those who donated millions would shortly earn it back, plus much more from a public thankful for their charity. My hope is that every person with a computer read this, it could make a positive difference.

Gunthr · « **Reply #1 on:** February 04, 2002, 09:08:01 AM »

Maybe now my wife will let me buy a Harley

babek- · « **Reply #2 on:** February 04, 2002, 09:08:25 AM »

Audi is part of the Volkswagen-Gruppe.

miko2d · « **Reply #3 on:** February 04, 2002, 09:18:55 AM »

I think this is a crappy logic reminding me about the communist propaganda about uncaring corporations.

The corporations are not persons with morals or ethics. They are legal entities managed by hired directors whose main responcibility is make money for shareholders within the constraints of the law.

The companies you have mentioned are not in the charity business. They should not have even tried to use the profit money for charity, political contribution and other crap because when a few people (directors) have control of someone-else's money without responcibility attached, nothing good usually comes out.
Instead, they should pay all the profits as dividends to the actual people - shareholders and the people will decide what to do with the money - spend it or donate to charity and if so, which one.

The morals and responcibilities of a healthy society should reside with people, not governemnt or corporations.

If the company managers care about the charity, they could add a note in a yearly report or shareholder letter urging shareholders to donate part of the profits, or they could participate in charitable work in their personal time.
Same for political and religious contributions.

I guess the corporations are like the governments - they are set up to handle specific things but the people on top decide that they like doing other things better and they have control of someone else's money...

When WTC disaster happened, I donated few grands to different funds and I actually spent some considerable time researching where to direct the money. I would not care to have the companies that I hold shares of to donate on my behalf - it is not their business and their preferences may differ from mine.
The company I work at partially matched my contibutions but it is a private company, not public - the owner spent his own profits, not his shareholders.

The only use for the numbers in the article is for the shareholders of teh first group of companies to calculate how much of their money have been donated to the charities and for shareholders of the second group to donate money themselves.

miko

Eagler · « **Reply #4 on:** February 04, 2002, 09:34:55 AM »

isn't it as simple as a tax write off for some but not for others?

Now if my Ford Explorer was built as well as my Honda Civic, I wouldn't have any car complaints, hate to see the Explorer when it has over 230,000 miles and is 8 years old

Gh0stFT · « **Reply #5 on:** February 04, 2002, 09:45:54 AM »

Honda $0 ?

http://www.honda.com/hondaresponds.html

BMW $0 ?

http://bmwusfactory.com/news/releases/20010914.htm

I could go on with other car companies, but the one who
wrote this email, he should first do a better research

Sandman · « **Reply #6 on:** February 04, 2002, 09:46:36 AM »

Quote

It is time I believe for Americans to speak out and speak out with their dollars. Those who donated, I believe have earned our respect and those who didn't should have earned our disgust.

Where's the threshold? Is it $1?

$100?

$1000?

$10,000?

How much before you've earned the respect of the "righteous?"

Oh... and every taxpayer in this country has paid and will no doubt continue to pay

IMHO, charity should be a private thing. It isn't about earning respect. It's about doing something to help others and ease your heart.

Ripsnort · « **Reply #7 on:** February 04, 2002, 10:00:39 AM »

Guys, urban legend, I'll get you the facts on this in a moment.

Edit:

Here you go:
http://www.snopes.com/rumors/cars.htm

straffo · « **Reply #8 on:** February 04, 2002, 10:01:47 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by babek-
Audi is part of the Volkswagen-Gruppe.

what Babek said ...

IMO it's an Hoax ....

Kieran · « **Reply #9 on:** February 04, 2002, 10:02:38 AM »

That e-mail is union propaganda. Dad worked 30 years for GM, I've seen it all. Even if it was true, those companies are under no obligation to give anything, and connecting the dots as was done just doesn't wash. The logic here borders on blackmail.

Hey, if you want to say, "Buy American", just say it. No need to post inflammatory stuff like this.

Sandman · « **Reply #10 on:** February 04, 2002, 10:10:24 AM »

Now, if we could just figure out what "Buy American" actually means.

FWIW, my Nissan truck was built in Tennessee, but... it's not "American."