General Motors says company veteran Mary Barra will succeed Dan Akerson as chief executive, becoming the first woman to lead the largest US car maker.

Barra, 51, currently executive vice president for global product development, purchasing and supply chain, will assume the post on January 15.

The announcement came just one day after the US Treasury sold its last shares in General Motors, closing the books on a 2008 bailout executed amid the financial crisis. GM and fellow US car makers Ford and Chrysler have gained on surging auto sales throughout 2013.

Barra has worked at GM for 33 years, rising through a series of manufacturing, engineering and senior staff positions. GM, in a statement on Tuesday, called her "a leader in the company's ongoing turnaround."



An engineer by training, Barra has also served as vice president of global human resources, where she was credited with shaking up a corporate culture that had depressed profits and innovation.

Her GM-heavy background contrasts with Akerson, who joined GM as chief executive in 2010 after working on buyouts for investment firm The Carlyle Group.

Good news and more of it says I.

bogarde73 wrote on Dec 11^th, 2013 at 8:56am:

Good news and more of it says I.

Why is it good news, and what benefit will more of it deliver?

It won't help the Australian arm of their operations.

Like Abort said there is no more money on the table so make the best of what is on offer.

I am all in favour of the advancement of women in business & politics. I think they often bring a fresh perspective to problems, apart from which holding women back from promotion is like holding blacks or any one else back.
This change has probably no effect with respect to GMH's problems and I wasn't thinking about that.
But GM is a huge manufacturer and employer so this is of significance.

BS.... at this level it is just a gender change to more of the same obscenely overpaid CEO's club that plagues our industries.

Meanwhile the only productivity increases they produce to get their bonuses is to run businesses into the ground & sack workers. ::)

Yes - another affirmative action appointee, put in place to satisfy the bloodlust of politicians who are still asleep over the realities of this (and that) once- great land, and the way it is rapidly falling into the ocean of poverty, like California after some future Big One (then to be re-named Cliffornia).

I have zero doubt that her appointment will materially alter the current collapse of GM any more than such things change anything, but she might as well take the money while it's there and pretend to have done a great job.

And you ask me what's wrong with the West at this time and why we are going down like a freshly married gay couple in the ACT...

Idiots in.. idiocy out!

Signs of the times:-

I was in a course yesterday and looked at the local newspaper... page one full spread.. latest graduates with BAs from the local branch of a university..

21 women.. 7 men.

Now, let me just ask these:-

1.  Did men suddenly grow stupid overnight?
2.  Are men lazy bums?
3. Is there so much employment around that men don't need a degree?
4. Did women suddenly grow smarter than men?


I'm sure there are other questions, but let's move on:-

The answer to all of the above is NO.  So the answer lies elsewhere.  It lies here (what lies beneath the lies):-

All of those graduates are in teaching and nursing.  Men have progressively been driven out of teaching with endless jihads against them over paedophiles, abusers, etc - none of which issues EVER reared it head when I went to school and men were the majority of teachers.

Nursing - well - let's just say more than clearly that this is still perceived as a women's business area of work - and men are actively discouraged to self-exclude or are excluded by an aggressive posture of those who run the show - all women - who, to put it simply and in exactly the same as every other area where women have been allowed to dominate -fight to keep this a women's domain, while joining in the incessant demands that women be forced into any area perceived to be a men's domain.

You can add to that this:-  the principal employer around here is retail in the towns - guess who predominate there by around 80%-20%.  Women.  So - where are all the men? 

Making a fortune at dairy farming - all thirty of them.  Making a fortune at timber felling? All fifty of them.
Making a fortune working in the cheese factory?  Hardly.
Making a fortune in tourism?  Nah - another arena occupied by women in the main.
Making a fortune in the few public service jobs?  Nah - 21 women to 3 men in Colonel C'Link, Medicare 100% women etc.
Making a fortune in real estate? Nah - usually two men to a office and the rest are women.
Making a fortune in banking jobs?  nah - same as real estate.

THAT is where the modern sexism and discrimination come into the workplace and workforce - and it starts with the schools and their bastardised 'education' approach to better suit girls.

I await breathlessly the conga line of name-callers to try to label me a 'woman-hater' for speaking fact.

Time for change, and genuine equality, not more and more of this nonsensical rubbish about 'poor women doing it tough' and being 'discriminated against'.

bogarde73 wrote on Dec 11^th, 2013 at 10:29am:

I am all in favour of the advancement of women in business & politics. I think they often bring a fresh perspective to problems, apart from which holding women back from promotion is like holding blacks or any one else back. This change has probably no effect with respect to GMH's problems and I wasn't thinking about that. But GM is a huge manufacturer and employer so this is of significance.

Gotta love it - two diametrically opposed views in four sentences.

What 'fresh perspective' will a woman bring to car manufacturing, pray tell?  This isn't like politics where they can bring a total focus on 'women's issues' regardless of the detrimental effect on everyone else... and they can just sit all day and pretend to be doing a hard job ruining running the country, then retire at 42 on an overly fat pension paid right then and there and not at retirement age, to spend time with their families, while the serfs struggle to find bread to put on the table.

A 'fresh perspective' is to cut out all the costly bullshit over affirmative action and get back to running the place for real.

Nothing new, there's been a female CEO of the International Monetary Fund for the past two years. As long as they're totally different to Gillard........

Firstly, golf claps for the women folk!
Secondly, Hockey is looking a bit sick these days!!
Thirdly, I can't believe they are breaking into question time when the house was talking bushfire helicopters! I simply can't believe they broke into question time fullstop ------->> where is the respect??

HERE!  Give us a 'fresh perspective ' on this!

http://www.ozpolitic.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1386733540

A 'woman's perspective' will be that they 'need' more women in the comfy top slots with the good retirement package, where they can work out how to 'save costs' by cutting out as many men at the coalface as possible.

Brilliant management!

"Barra has worked at GM for 33 years, rising through a series of manufacturing, engineering and senior staff positions. GM, in a statement on Tuesday, called her "a leader in the company's ongoing turnaround."

That means she's part of the problem and not of the solution.  'Nuff said.

Sir lastnail wrote on Dec 11^th, 2013 at 9:35am:

It won't help the Australian arm of their operations. Like Abort said there is no more money on the table so make the best of what is on offer.

Abort lied. Again.

His government is solely responsible for this.

Sir Grappler Truth Teller OAM wrote on Dec 11^th, 2013 at 12:43pm:

bogarde73 wrote on Dec 11th, 2013 at 10:29am: I am all in favour of the advancement of women in business & politics. I think they often bring a fresh perspective to problems, apart from which holding women back from promotion is like holding blacks or any one else back. This change has probably no effect with respect to GMH's problems and I wasn't thinking about that. But GM is a huge manufacturer and employer so this is of significance. Gotta love it - two diametrically opposed views in four sentences. What 'fresh perspective' will a woman bring to car manufacturing, pray tell?  This isn't like politics where they can bring a total focus on 'women's issues' regardless of the detrimental effect on everyone else... and they can just sit all day and pretend to be doing a hard job ruining running the country, then retire at 42 on an overly fat pension paid right then and there and not at retirement age, to spend time with their families, while the serfs struggle to find bread to put on the table. A 'fresh perspective' is to cut out all the costly bullshit over affirmative action and get back to running the place for real.

honestly grap...where are you from????

a lippy holder to start with.

cars never ever have a lippy holder..

water bottle holder yes >:(

beer bottle holder yes.. >:(

lippy holder ... NO.

its the same with mirrors only on the passenger on the side..... so it all good for the passenger to not have a coffee mustache.. >:( >:(

theres heaps to think about give ME TIME>

a female at the TOP eat your heart out guys..

Why don't cars have lipstick holders? 

Probably something to do with not wanting to encourage putting make up on when they're driving, due to it being inherently unsafe.  Ditto with drivers side mirrors.

Fairly simple I would have thought....This is why everything in use today (besides liquid paper...mustn't forget liquid paper) was designed and built by men. 

... wrote on Dec 11^th, 2013 at 5:21pm:

Why don't cars have lipstick holders?  Probably something to do with not wanting to encourage putting make up on when they're driving, due to it being inherently unsafe.

Did the Carla Zampatti Ford Lasers have lipstick holders?

                                             :-/

Sir Grappler Truth Teller OAM wrote on Dec 11^th, 2013 at 12:38pm:

Yes - another affirmative action appointee, put in place to satisfy the bloodlust of politicians who are still asleep over the realities of this (and that) once- great land, and the way it is rapidly falling into the ocean of poverty, like California after some future Big One (then to be re-named Cliffornia). I have zero doubt that her appointment will materially alter the current collapse of GM any more than such things change anything, but she might as well take the money while it's there and pretend to have done a great job. And you ask me what's wrong with the West at this time and why we are going down like a freshly married gay couple in the ACT... Idiots in.. idiocy out! Signs of the times:- I was in a course yesterday and looked at the local newspaper... page one full spread.. latest graduates with BAs from the local branch of a university.. 21 women.. 7 men. Now, let me just ask these:- 1.  Did men suddenly grow stupid overnight? 2.  Are men lazy bums? 3. Is there so much employment around that men don't need a degree? 4. Did women suddenly grow smarter than men? I'm sure there are other questions, but let's move on:- The answer to all of the above is NO.  So the answer lies elsewhere.  It lies here (what lies beneath the lies):- All of those graduates are in teaching and nursing.  Men have progressively been driven out of teaching with endless jihads against them over paedophiles, abusers, etc - none of which issues EVER reared it head when I went to school and men were the majority of teachers. Nursing - well - let's just say more than clearly that this is still perceived as a women's business area of work - and men are actively discouraged to self-exclude or are excluded by an aggressive posture of those who run the show - all women - who, to put it simply and in exactly the same as every other area where women have been allowed to dominate -fight to keep this a women's domain, while joining in the incessant demands that women be forced into any area perceived to be a men's domain. You can add to that this:-  the principal employer around here is retail in the towns - guess who predominate there by around 80%-20%.  Women.  So - where are all the men?  Making a fortune at dairy farming - all thirty of them.  Making a fortune at timber felling? All fifty of them. Making a fortune working in the cheese factory?  Hardly. Making a fortune in tourism?  Nah - another arena occupied by women in the main. Making a fortune in the few public service jobs?  Nah - 21 women to 3 men in Colonel C'Link, Medicare 100% women etc. Making a fortune in real estate? Nah - usually two men to a office and the rest are women. Making a fortune in banking jobs?  nah - same as real estate. THAT is where the modern sexism and discrimination come into the workplace and workforce - and it starts with the schools and their bastardised 'education' approach to better suit girls. I await breathlessly the conga line of name-callers to try to label me a 'woman-hater' for speaking fact. Time for change, and genuine equality, not more and more of this nonsensical rubbish about 'poor women doing it tough' and being 'discriminated against'.

Well said, and pretty-well spot-on!

She might be a very capable woman...possibly even the best person for the job.  They're few and far between, but Angela merkel is a good example of a woman that can mix it with the big boys. 

However, we've seen enough lame AA appointees that we're dubious about the reasons behind her appointment. Applauding her appointment with no further information than that she possesses a vagina, clearly illustrates the motives at work here, and it's getting beyond a joke.

What 'fresh perspective' will a woman bring to car manufacturing, pray tell?

Well it always comes down to the individual in everything of course. But I've seen enough of male executives to know that they don't hold the key to the universe. They are often motivated by little else than ego and their desire to dominate.
The senior women I've seen, not that there are that many, seem to have a more collaborative approach, which is the kind of perspective I'm thinking of.
Look at Gail Kelly as an example. What a great job she's dome at Westpac.
This new GM woman looks as if she is amply qualified, come through the ranks etc.

You sound to me like you have a real problem with women, which is not what I expect from a thinking man.

She may decide the propaganda of power and speed will no longer be a weapon wielded by corporations to commit mass murder!

....whilst selling cars of course  :-[

bogarde73 wrote on Dec 12^th, 2013 at 9:53am:

What 'fresh perspective' will a woman bring to car manufacturing, pray tell? Well it always comes down to the individual in everything of course. But I've seen enough of male executives to know that they don't hold the key to the universe. They are often motivated by little else than ego and their desire to dominate. The senior women I've seen, not that there are that many, seem to have a more collaborative approach, which is the kind of perspective I'm thinking of. Look at Gail Kelly as an example. What a great job she's dome at Westpac. This new GM woman looks as if she is amply qualified, come through the ranks etc. You sound to me like you have a real problem with women, which is not what I expect from a thinking man.

I have absolutely zero problem with a woman getting ahead on her own merits - I DO have a serious problem with anyone getting ahead by being handed artificial props and deliberately exploiting policies that exclude others according to some ideology or philosophy of some mythical past lack of opportunity.  I have a very serious problem with the socio-fascist stance of ENFORCING such nonsensical ideologies and philosophies - particularly when that enforcement - done without valid reason - directly impacts on myself and countless millions of others in our society - and always in a negative manner.

'more collaborative approach' - don't make me laugh. That is totally unjustifiable bullshit and based on parrot repetition of what you've been told - same as the absurd phrase 'women can offer a different perspective'.  Your entire philosophy is riddled with contradiction - on the one hand you leap to the catch-phrases that support women - then almost in the same breath you say it's an individual thing.

Stoopid is as stoopid does - collaborative is as collaborative does - intelligent is as intelligent does.  Any suggestion of superiority along gender, racial or other lines is EXACTLY the problem - and that - my son - is where your entire philosophy falls down by supporting these fanciful notions about women. SOME women are good at collaborating - such as my boss before last who started off employing two women and ended up with two long-term men - and it was a TWO WAY street.  You need some experience in real management, I think.

As for the bank lady - the banks here are currently riding on a false premise - and their excessive incomes are buoyed up by the mad rush to enrich some through property scamming etc while actively excluding the many from the same arena - and also by their excessive and largely unwarranted fees.

Banks loan absurd amounts on inadequate support via income etc - knowing full well that in a 'boom' property market with ever-increasing numbers of fools buying in from overseas (when the local till runs dry) - the inevitable failure of countless thousands of families to sustain their repayments mean the bank can foreclose and come out smelling like roses.

http://smh.domain.com.au/real-estate-news/foreclosures-rise-as-more-borrowers-fail-to-repay-20120102-1pico.html

Further - there is a growing industry of outright vultures waiting to chew on the carcasses of families here - and these same vultures expect every consideration and help from government in doing so, through negative gearing and so forth:-

http://wealthcreationseminars.net/foreclosure-listings-australia%E2%80%93where-find-foreclosure-homes-in-australia/

Now I don't know about you - but I see a more than clear policy structure in place here to achieve what I always warn of here and elsewhere - the creation of an artificially impoverished neo-serf class who will be beggars on the streets of life while a few self-appointed neo-mandarins will be riding their satanic hearses of greed and selfishness all the way to the bank.

They (the banks, the vultures, the governments and those riders in satanic hearses) are thus contributing to the economic and social disaster looming for the West - but let me again say this - I will guarantee you their 'ceos' and other bullshit artists will sneak off into the nightfall of disaster and find a nice safe and well-heeled retirement somewhere else, leaving behind a trail of destruction for the many.

Any idiot could make a business work under those conditions where they make the rules and change them at whim to suit their 'bottom line', and then, like government, just make up any 'shortfall' by taking it from the customers on demand.

Again -these are part of the problem and not of the solution, and what this country, and the rest of the West needs - are positive policies that do not favour small selected social groups.

Quite frankly - there is no room left in the till for such luxury rides for some at the expense of the majority.

FINAL WARNING NOTE:- 
Drive enough people to the wall financially and socially, and one day they will be desperate enough to accept the Fascist control of government, work, banks/money and so forth - since they will see no other viable alternative to the current violent and savagely disempowering 'laissez faire' out-of-control greed and mismanagement than a totally controlled economy and society.  This is precisely what happened in Germany and Italy pre-World War II, and even I am beginning to advocate such Uberkontrol as the ONLY viable means of bringing the current insanities under control.

Sir Grappler Truth Teller OAM wrote on Dec 13^th, 2013 at 10:21am:

bogarde73 wrote on Dec 12th, 2013 at 9:53am: What 'fresh perspective' will a woman bring to car manufacturing, pray tell? Well it always comes down to the individual in everything of course. But I've seen enough of male executives to know that they don't hold the key to the universe. They are often motivated by little else than ego and their desire to dominate. The senior women I've seen, not that there are that many, seem to have a more collaborative approach, which is the kind of perspective I'm thinking of. Look at Gail Kelly as an example. What a great job she's dome at Westpac. This new GM woman looks as if she is amply qualified, come through the ranks etc. You sound to me like you have a real problem with women, which is not what I expect from a thinking man. As for the bank lady - the banks hers are currently riding on a false premise - and their excessive incomes are buoyed up by the mad rush to enrich some through property scamming etc while actively excluding the many from the same arena - and also by their excessive and largely unwarranted fees. Banks loan absurd amounts on inadequate support via income etc - knowing full well that in a 'boom' property market with ever-increasing numbers of fools buying in from overseas (when the local till runs dry) - the inevitable failure of countless thousands of families to sustain their repayments mean the bank can foreclose and come out smelling like roses.

Interesting perspective if not false about what actually occurs at Westpac.

Prime Minister for Canyons wrote on Dec 13^th, 2013 at 10:28am:

Sir Grappler Truth Teller OAM wrote on Dec 13th, 2013 at 10:21am: bogarde73 wrote on Dec 12th, 2013 at 9:53am: What 'fresh perspective' will a woman bring to car manufacturing, pray tell? Well it always comes down to the individual in everything of course. But I've seen enough of male executives to know that they don't hold the key to the universe. They are often motivated by little else than ego and their desire to dominate. The senior women I've seen, not that there are that many, seem to have a more collaborative approach, which is the kind of perspective I'm thinking of. Look at Gail Kelly as an example. What a great job she's dome at Westpac. This new GM woman looks as if she is amply qualified, come through the ranks etc. You sound to me like you have a real problem with women, which is not what I expect from a thinking man. As for the bank lady - the banks hers are currently riding on a false premise - and their excessive incomes are buoyed up by the mad rush to enrich some through property scamming etc while actively excluding the many from the same arena - and also by their excessive and largely unwarranted fees. Banks loan absurd amounts on inadequate support via income etc - knowing full well that in a 'boom' property market with ever-increasing numbers of fools buying in from overseas (when the local till runs dry) - the inevitable failure of countless thousands of families to sustain their repayments mean the bank can foreclose and come out smelling like roses. Interesting perspective if not false about what actually occurs at Westpac.

Interesting generalising comment - any support?  I see Westpac are on the side of the Angels..... LMAO.

Read the links - read the links - these are but the first small black clouds on the horizon, and short of a major war with massive debt repudiation externally - there can be no foreseeable resolution to the current debt crisis of the West.

In that case I can refer you to history once again - while countless British soldiers were away in the jungles and deserts fighting for the Mother Country - their families were being driven into poverty and homelessness by enforcement of mortgages and bills they could not pay on Army etc pay.

So - as usual - only the 'better classes' will benefit from any repudiation of international debt at the end of the day.  The rest can eat cake and love it.

::) and they wonder why history is replete with revolutions that head into the same style of excess as those who fomented it with their 'governorship' of society.....  ::)

Sir Grappler Truth Teller OAM wrote on Dec 13^th, 2013 at 10:43am:

Prime Minister for Canyons wrote on Dec 13th, 2013 at 10:28am: Sir Grappler Truth Teller OAM wrote on Dec 13th, 2013 at 10:21am: bogarde73 wrote on Dec 12th, 2013 at 9:53am: What 'fresh perspective' will a woman bring to car manufacturing, pray tell? Well it always comes down to the individual in everything of course. But I've seen enough of male executives to know that they don't hold the key to the universe. They are often motivated by little else than ego and their desire to dominate. The senior women I've seen, not that there are that many, seem to have a more collaborative approach, which is the kind of perspective I'm thinking of. Look at Gail Kelly as an example. What a great job she's dome at Westpac. This new GM woman looks as if she is amply qualified, come through the ranks etc. You sound to me like you have a real problem with women, which is not what I expect from a thinking man. As for the bank lady - the banks hers are currently riding on a false premise - and their excessive incomes are buoyed up by the mad rush to enrich some through property scamming etc while actively excluding the many from the same arena - and also by their excessive and largely unwarranted fees. Banks loan absurd amounts on inadequate support via income etc - knowing full well that in a 'boom' property market with ever-increasing numbers of fools buying in from overseas (when the local till runs dry) - the inevitable failure of countless thousands of families to sustain their repayments mean the bank can foreclose and come out smelling like roses. Interesting perspective if not false about what actually occurs at Westpac. Interesting generalising comment - any support?  I see Westpac are on the side of the Angels..... LMAO.

Well for one Australia doesn't have a lot of sub prime loans. Two, the prevalence of MacMansions has led to defaults, previous generations wer happy to get a smaller house and work their way up the chain. Todays generations want the house, two cars, plasma TV etc.

So....... loaning 90% of value of grossly inflated MacMansions, based on the MADIF (Mandatory Dual Income Family) - in a declining job market, a declining marriage success market, rising family disintegration market, rising homelessness market, massive off-shoring of natural resources and job opportunities while raising costs of the same natural resources at home to profit twenty people massively, government paralysis on every real issue while beating the drum and rattling the sabre over miscreant loser low-life who wont find a job etc....

.....is NOT sub-prime?

What do you call it?

My apologies for trying a holistic, collaborative approach encompassing all relevant issues here - like women are alleged to do so well (LMAO).

Them butterfly wings are beating....

Prime Minister for Canyons wrote on Dec 13^th, 2013 at 10:47am:

Sir Grappler Truth Teller OAM wrote on Dec 13th, 2013 at 10:43am: Prime Minister for Canyons wrote on Dec 13th, 2013 at 10:28am: Sir Grappler Truth Teller OAM wrote on Dec 13th, 2013 at 10:21am: bogarde73 wrote on Dec 12th, 2013 at 9:53am: What 'fresh perspective' will a woman bring to car manufacturing, pray tell? Well it always comes down to the individual in everything of course. But I've seen enough of male executives to know that they don't hold the key to the universe. They are often motivated by little else than ego and their desire to dominate. The senior women I've seen, not that there are that many, seem to have a more collaborative approach, which is the kind of perspective I'm thinking of. Look at Gail Kelly as an example. What a great job she's dome at Westpac. This new GM woman looks as if she is amply qualified, come through the ranks etc. You sound to me like you have a real problem with women, which is not what I expect from a thinking man. As for the bank lady - the banks hers are currently riding on a false premise - and their excessive incomes are buoyed up by the mad rush to enrich some through property scamming etc while actively excluding the many from the same arena - and also by their excessive and largely unwarranted fees. Banks loan absurd amounts on inadequate support via income etc - knowing full well that in a 'boom' property market with ever-increasing numbers of fools buying in from overseas (when the local till runs dry) - the inevitable failure of countless thousands of families to sustain their repayments mean the bank can foreclose and come out smelling like roses. Interesting perspective if not false about what actually occurs at Westpac. Interesting generalising comment - any support?  I see Westpac are on the side of the Angels..... LMAO. Well for one Australia doesn't have a lot of sub prime loans. Two, the prevalence of MacMansions has led to defaults, previous generations wer happy to get a smaller house and work their way up the chain. Todays generations want the house, two cars, plasma TV etc.

Well there are no small houses anymore - all been bought, crudely renovated and flipped.
two cars are necessary when both parents have to work.
a plasma TV costs a coupla hundred bucks - hardly a huge outlay.

So does the problem really lie with 'todays generation' or the world they inherited?

I'll say a bit of column A and a bit of column B

good choice.

I forgot to add in that the MacMansions Paradise suburbs are usually built where there is little to no infrastructure such as adequate transport - which mandates that the MADIF will NEED two cars.  I recall trying for a mortgage in Sydney for $55K (ah - the good old days) and being knocked back (only thirty years ago too!) - but being approved for a $40,000 mortgage two hours out of town.

http://www.mynrma.com.au/motoring/buy-sell/buying-advice/car-operating-costs/cost-of-running-a-car-in-sydney-2013.htm

They seemed incapable of seeing that the cost of traveling to work outweighed the difference in the mortgages over the life of the mortgage.

You need not talk to me about banks.

As for who handed the current downward slide to us ALL - not just the current generation - you are both right - except the 'WE' didn't hand this dilemna to our kids.  A part of the major reasons for this downslide is that, having been the recipients of enormous largesse in handouts in education and employment - there has been generated two or more generations controlled by a sense of absolute entitlement under the delusion that since it has all been easy so far - that is the normal course of events.  Then they hit reality and rock bottom in one easy slide, the first reality check being that suddenly, with all their commitments to mortgages and cars and such (MADIF) - they cannot plan or have a family, so their entire purpose in having those things disintegrates in one.  Thus the demand for paid parental leave that nobody can afford and which is just another handout to those who haven't planned properly.

It was handed to us all by the social scientists in government and business - and it all started at the time of affirmative action for women and much smaller specified social groups - a process meant to 'equalise' us all.

Yup - 60% of the population are now equal in near-poverty and being only one heartbeat or managerial brain infarction from being on the street.  On top of that this 'equality' means, in reality, that some get a cream run and everyone else - the majority - take it in the neck.

You may argue the merits of that equation back and forth - but the facts are undeniable.

On the issue - even I - an ardent supporter of EQUAL rights and of women over the years - am moving towards :-

"Put 'em back in the kitchen where they belong!"

Immediately resolves all the current issues around unemployment, social divides, lack of genuine opportunity for the majority, the virulent bullshit campaigns from 'feminist' groups etc, and the current downgrading of our society overall.

No mum in work for example - no huge mortgage - less marriage failures - less repossessions - less losers in life.

Touch decisions - demand tough times.... and vice versa.

Look around you right now.

P.S.  There's a beer bottle holder in cars?  Why doesn't mine have one?

Enough to drive a man to drink!

cods *peace hugs in true Kum-By'Eah fashion (ask andre' what it means)** - why is it assumed the driver will be a man?