主题：【原创】通用汽车为什么拒售Opel？ -- 晨枫

I remembered that Opel was acquired by GM many years ago (before WWI?).

US gov. encouraged American firms to invest aggressively in overseas market because productive facilities generated higher return than financial assets--in the long run.The funny phenomenon in America is that overseas investors shift savings into US corporate equity and bonds to earn average returns, while such savings are employed by American corporations to earn higher returns for themselves. In the last 40 years, this weird capital flow persisted in EU-US bilateral relation as well as the now Sino-US relation.

It also results in more effective control over the local government--GM can easily threaten the Germany government with massive layoff and pushed it to implement huge car incentive program (the car replacement program, of course, the benefit is indirect). If GM just holds German gov. bonds, the threat is less credible.

Germany wanted to gradually reduce America's control over its domestic economy. GM's collapse last year was a perfect opportunity. EU has the clear intention of gradually reducing America's influence in its own sphere of influence. Now Europeans get a big blow after doling out all the free tax money.

Not bad, not bad. I always enjoy watching the fight among Uncle Sam, French Coq Gaulois and German Eagle. The fiercier, the better.

Canada is fence-sitting with no clear national identity or even commitment (not North American, more Scottish or French). Really funny.