Let's be honest, we have cheap gas in the US.  It surely can't last.  As of today the average price of gas in the UK is 94.5 pence/liter.  This is equivalent to $1.39/liter.  And we're talking liters here... 1 Pepsi Big Slam.  Which can be purchased for a similar price ($1.49 on the link).

A liter is not very much.  There are 3.79 liters in a gallon.  Let's do that math.  (Math being done...) People in the UK are currently paying $5.27/gallon for gas.  This is cheaper than a gallon of Organic Milk (a renewable resource).  So is gas really that expensive?  Why not have expensive gas so we actually start thinking about whether or not we walk or drive the 3/4 mile to the video store. 

Oil is our most valuable resource and until we come up with an efficient alternative energy source we're dependent and solely reliant on black gold.  We have the highest standard of living ever for a reason... we're borrowing millions and maybe even billions of years of stored energy and using it all within a few hundred years.  Supply and demand will eventually result in sky high oil prices and Americans will be complaining about $5/gallon gas that Europeans are currently paying.  I figure it's better to start paying that now so my grandkids have some left.

The US Government may end up aiding the automakers with up to $100 billion.  Yes, billion.  Let me write that out for you: $100,000,000,000.00.  Citizens for Tax Justice, a taxpayer watchdog group, states that there are 117 million taxpayers in the United States.  Even if these numbers are slightly off, it's somewhere around $854.70 per American taxpayer.  How is the defecit going to be cut when we're spending money like this on a business model that will not work without massive restructuring? 

Even the new CEO of General Motors, Fritz Henderson, is quoted "if it's required, that's what we'll do"... obviously talking about bankruptcy.  So why are we still throwing money in this black hole if bankruptcy is still an option.  The current model is flawed and there needs to be deeper restructuring, which is why the old CEO, Wagoner, was given the boot.  Michigan is in a world of hurt and this uncertainty does not help the cause.  More jobs are going to be cut (unemployment rising!) through 2012 and the company must be leaner that it projected in February.  Seriously, February?  That was 2 months ago.  How can the people running one of the largest American corporations not realize the severity of the situation 2 months ago? 

Henderson has stated that one of the happiest days of his life will be when General Motors will repay the American Taxpayers.  I can't wait.  I'm going to take that $800 bucks and put it towards a Camry (just kidding). 

We need American automakers, get with the program, restructure, go bankrupt, whatever is needed and start the process of restoring the confidence Americans have in American cars.