In the midst of government bailout of the big

three, many are crying wolf. As these companies beg for taxpayer money to stay afloat, it raises the

question why? Yes I fully understand the weight of letting the big three fail. Detroit, a city tough

enough would crumble into social unrest. The over 513,000 United Auto

Workers union members would be out of a job. I understand all of these things, but should compassion

outweigh even basic economic theory? Obviously these companies have their issues. Ford, GM and

Chrysler formed the backbone of an American tradition, however their stubbornness or lack of vision

caused them to fall behind. Apply this to any other American icon, say the drive in theater. The once

heralded pastime of parking and enjoying a movie outdoors is nearly vanished. In the hay day of drive

ins, 3,775 screens existed. According to a recent Boston Globe article less than 400 exist now. Much

like the big American automobile, it was a cherished object, but new technology, comforts and formats

now exist that have pushed the drive in out of business. Is there a bailout for theaters? No. So why

automakers? I say let them fail. Let the practices that brought them down stay down and let the

American auto industry rebuild. The basic model of supply and demand clearly shows a problem in the

industry. So let’s take a page from econ 101 and start over. Is economics unfair? Maybe, but not

nearly as unfair as using taxpayer money to support an antique.