Let the American automakers fail. Or succeed. Or continue to struggle. Whatever. Just let them be, without government assistance.

But if they fail, who cares? That’ll learn ‘em. And that’ll learn us for allowing an organization like UAW – the United Auto Workers – take the kind of power over these big-time employers that they had taken.

Labor unions have a noble purpose – negotiating for the improved pay, benefits, and conditions of the backbone of the economy: our laborers.

But many unions don’t always enjoy stopping at a reasonable point. They continue to push for artificially higher wages and benefits that drive companies under. Michelle Malkin’s readers have sent her reports of laid-off workers who said they made more without a job than they did producing actual labor, and that current UAW labor is paid whether they work or not. (Link link)

What use is a labor union if it does such a “good” job protecting its workers that it helps drive the companies it works with underground?

And now the automakers want some of the Big Bailout money, as if they didn’t have trouble before all of this credit crunch stuff happened. As I said about the bailout itself, let the fail happen. We should also let these automakers fail.

“But, Dan, they’re American companies, you phoney patriot!”

America’s about freedom, and freedom includes the freedom to fail – the failure of businesses that cannot achieve profit by providing value to Americans is what helps drives the free market. Bailing these companies out suspends this failure, prolongs suffering, and throws a wrench into the system.

I have no problem buying Japanese cars if I think it will be better for me, and neither should you. Foreign automakers that aren’t being crushed by unions also know that it’s about making a better car, plain and simple.

What could be more American than the freedom to choose what I buy?

Then again, our government hasn’t been looking American these days. President Bush has said that he’s free market guy, except in times of crisis like this. Okay, so you’re a free market guy except when we need to hold onto our principles the most? You economic idiot.

In trying to protect our companies from failure, we’re subsidizing failure, rewarding failed systems and failed companies for failing. If that sounds like good economic policy to you, you’re also an economic idiot.

P.S. Paul Ryan, Congressman from Wisconsin, whose “Roadmap to the Future” looks like excellent long-term policy, voted for the bailout back in September. I am stripping him of “favorite politician” status on the BipolarNation.com About page.