TO THE EDITOR:
I will rely on Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton business studies to evaluate and explain the incomprehensible destruction of General Motors by its own top management. I refer to the de-globalization by the virtual abandonment of vehicle sales, manufacturing or both in Europe, India, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Thailand. If one didn't know better, it could be assumed that a private equity outfit was asset-stripping the mighty giant.
To the uninformed, including members of GM's board, I recommend My Years with General Motors by Alfred Sloan followed by a review of a century of hard work, vision, talent and investment that created this global industrial icon. It should not be dismantled by myopia and preservation of unconscionable senior management emoluments.
GM refers to "global restructuring" and not the termination of long-established operations, for example, Opel, Vauxhall and Holden.
Excluded from the press releases is the disruption of thousands of GM employees, their families, dealer networks, suppliers and numerous business entities created for and reliant upon GM subsidiary operations.
Was any consideration given to foreign governments' reaction to GM's withdrawal from their countries, for example, lost tax revenues and higher unemployment? Re-entry by GM or other American companies could be problematic.
RICHARD HERDEGEN, Bloomfield Hills, Mich., The writer is a retired General Motors executive.
