Oxymoron: "Congressional Hearing"

I’ve just watched a portion of the Congressional hearing into the Toyota recall crisis...


It’s not riveting. In fact, it’s kind of comical to me. Congressmen with grave faces challenging the Toyota execs...Yes, Congressmen from Congress – that paragon of efficient problem solving. Oh, the irony!!

But, they are putting the screws to them. They even asked the $64 question: Do you intend to address these quality control issues in such a way as to restore the safety of Toyota drivers and be an example for other car manufacturers?

I tell you, I was waiting with bated breath for that answer!

What’s Mr. Toyoda going to say? “Uh, no...we’ve really made enough money already, big uncaring corporation that we are. We’ve always marketed our cars as reliable, quality vehicles and we and our employees have taken pride in making them. But what you’re asking us to do is too much work. We’ll just let the whole thing go down. Yes, probably fewer and fewer Toyota’s will be sold, and we’ll end up in bankruptcy. But, we know that when we get to that point, you will bail us out – so no worries. In the meantime, we’re going to try a new marketing campaign: TAKE YOUR CHANCES, DRIVE A TOYOTA! It should appeal to the Gen Y’ers with their love for risk.”

In my opinion, he could have said: “This is a stupid question because, obviously, we are doing that already! In the real world, unlike Congress, quality results are a pre-requisite to success. If we don’t build safe, quality cars, people don’t buy them. We don’t make money. We can’t employ people. We won’t have a business. Quality products, and corrections to any deficiencies that show up, keep us in business, so we have a vested interest in getting things right. We know that you have us here so you can look like you’re holding our feet to the fire and as a result, it will be perceived that is Congress who is making American drivers safer. Well, sirs, in that you are wrong. We are already at work to make drivers safer, and you are wasting our valuable time by requiring us to be here to answer stupid questions.”

Instead, Mr. Toyoda gave the politically correct answer, and the expected abject apologies and groveling. I know he couldn’t say the kind of things that I was thinking, but I’m still kind of disappointed. So many of these Congressional hearings are a farce. It is just an opportunity for Congress to look like they are in control of curing all American ills. Goodness! How would we have survived this recall crisis if they had not intervened???

Very well, thank you. And it would please me immensely if you, Congress, would recognize that looking like something is very different than BEING something. Stop with the laughable hearings that are just a stage for your ulterior motives, and start doing more for the American people by doing less!