“I’ve got a little bumper sticker for you: Osama bin Laden is dead and General Motors is alive,” boomed Vice President Joe Biden during the heated 2012 campaign cycle. It was an effective line, but one which was soon proven shortsighted.
Bin Laden remains dead, but the terrorist organization he founded is, according to the White House, not. In fact, as the administration has determined that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria is functionally synonymous with al-Qaeda, bin Laden’s organization is stronger than ever and is drawing American soldiers back into a new Middle Eastern war.
General Motors, the financially troubled American auto firm which received a federal bailout and underwent restructuring early in Obama’s first term, remains alive. Whether this condition is a boon to the American public is in doubt.
On Monday, it was revealed that the Frankenstein’s monster that is now the once iconic automotive brand is still killing people.
“The number of deaths linked to a faulty ignition switch in General Motors Co vehicles rose by two last week to 21, according to a report Monday from a lawyer overseeing a program to compensate victims of accidents caused by the recalled part,” Reuters reported.
Since Aug. 1, 675 claims for serious injuries or deaths said to have been caused by the switch had been received by the program, which is being overseen by lawyer Kenneth Feinberg. As of Friday, 21 death claims had been deemed eligible, as well as 16 claims for serious physical injuries, according to statistics provided by Feinberg’s office.
The program will continue to receive applications until Dec. 31 on behalf of individuals injured or killed in accidents they say were caused by the switch, which led to the recall of 2.6 million vehicles earlier this year. A problem with the switch can cause it to slip out of position, stalling the vehicle and disabling air bags.
Last week, in the first update since the program began accepting claims, Feinberg’s office reported approving 19 death claims, more than the 13 deaths the company has officially acknowledged as being linked to the switch. As of Friday, a total of 143 death claims had been submitted to the program.
Live long enough, you’re bound to see every Obama administration victory become a defeat.
If this had not been touted as an Obama administration success story, and an example of “things we do together” governmental beneficence, the death cult GM would almost certainly be driving anti-capitalist protesters into the streets to demand stricter regulations on auto manufactures. That is, it would if that group of aimless, perpetually aggrieved fellow travelers was not busily protesting capitalism through the vehicle of climate change at the moment.
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