Was the General Motors bailout worth it?

The U.S. Treasury sold off the last of its General Motors shares at a loss to taxpayers of $10 billion. President Barack Obama decided to bail out the bankrupt automaker four years ago at the height of the Great Recession, ordering G.M. to overhaul its operations and saving hundreds of thousands of jobs. Anthony Mason reports.

[williemo]

If I start a business and manage it poorly, then The U.S. Saves my business, what incentive do I have to manage it correctly again?

[Mrcharles.]

The government should never have bailed out the auto industry in the first place! Because of it, we are stuck in this phase where the car is king of the road! I would like to see what it would be like if Obama didn’t bail the auto industry!

[jmjfanss]

Absolutely not, let them rot in their pain for all I care.

[pinkymixology]

They rebounded so well, they fired thousands of workers and paid their shareholders even more money.

[P]

Absolute biggest like of the decade. GM wouldn't have failed, they would have figured it out. What a joke

[woobjon]

At a loss of 10 billion. I would've said no bailout, you created it, you eat it!!!

[danjones]

Would have been cheaper to put GM workers on Welfare, cash in assets, sell land.

[thndr_]

Gm deserved to fail and I wish they did

[andrewjconners]

Why were these people given a life line for their own incompetence? Just because they were successful for a period of time doesn't entitle them to their own economic rules

[superaa]

we bought my mom a 1984 olds cutlass.When you started it, it would not keep running.After 4 trips to repair, dealer said could not be fixed and gave us a coupon for new Olds.Threw coupon away.Last American car we bought.

[olashkianmapping]

It wasn’t worth it to get rid of Pontiac tho...

[NoamPitlick-bgkw]

These numbers are teeny tiny compared to current ones.

[redfury]

They would have done fine. Still hate that this happened. And the cash for clunkers program 💩

[abea]

Wasn’t worth it, it will not happen again

[richsidman]

No, should have let them go belly up. How did they repay taxpayers? They closed plants here and moved more production to Mexico, Canada and China. Somebody would have bought them out of bankruptcy.

[kharris]

10 Billion of my tax money went to pay for people getting paid MORE then their value to the workplace?

[doglegjake]

A big profit for the taxpayers ?, , He meant to say a big profit for corrupt politicians.

[Brandon-xpob]

Breaks my heart but they should have been allowed to fail. Bailout is like tampering with nature. It would be painful but new players would emerge and even though jobs would be lost in the short term, new companies could absorb talented workers and Marie would heal itself.

[NSS]

GM buyer still need car they will get it from other automaker like Toyota, Honda, Nissan. Worker will lose their job, but they will find another job with other automaker. Popular brand like Chevrolet will end up bought by other automaker.