American Thinker: I have been surprised at the paltry attention paid by the US mainstream media to the arrest and incarceration Monday last week of Carlos Ghosn, who is the head of the world’s largest automobile manufacturing group: the alliance of Renault, Nissan, and Mitsubishi, with 450,000 employees and 10.6 million vehicles annually produced. As Joe Biden would say without resort to initials, this is a BFD.
[Mitsubishi was added to the group two years ago, as its failure to reach sufficient size has left it with a serious cost disadvantage. The cooperative purchasing and technology advantages of the combination presumably have kept it alive, but as a distinctly junior partner. This story is mostly about Renault and Nissan.]
Of course, the Wall Street Journal and other business publications have devoted considerable coverage to the drama unfolding, but the average American news consumer has seen very little, if any, information on the affair that is roiling Japan, France, the EU, and the auto industry.
Ghosn reportedly is denying the charge that he illegally failed to report substantial income to Japanese regulators for his role as President of Nissan. He was fired by Nissan at the time of his arrest, but remains CEO of Renault, which purchased a controlling 43% stake in Nissan when that company was in a financial crisis.
The door actuator on my beloved Titan, built in TN, failed unprovoked suddenly and inexplicably until I took the door apart and read on the offending part the name Renault.
Putting a POS French part in my great truck, that’s a real crime.
(sniff, sniff) (sniff, sniff)
Between the arrest on presumably phony charges, and the media’s lack of coverage, I smell a rat. More than one, I’m sure.
looks like this guy was born with the deck stacked against him, and he still believes he didn’t get the memo.
Carlos Ghosn is a Brazilian-born businessman who also has French and Lebanese nationality.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Ghosn
what’s your fav Carlos Ghosn Quote?
Carlos Ghosn/Quotes
The role of leadership is to transform the complex situation into small pieces and prioritize them.
You’ll never convince me there is a hopeless situation or there is any finality in any success or any failure.
I swear it will be done.
I think that the best training a top manager can be engaged in is management by example.
Business is tough; you need tough guys.
Design is important, it’s an important dimension in the car. It’s not the only one.
I think the new generation is much more demanding about respect for the environment than we have ever imagined.
At the age of 20 I bought a used Fiat 127. This was the only one I could afford!
I have my family, my children – I have a lot of outside activities.
Profit is the most global aspect of a business, and it is cross-functional.
When I come to a design decision, people know that is that.
“I swear it will be done”? That’s Prince Humperdink in “The Princess Bride”!