Did Michael Moore foresee the problems at General Motors? No way!

In a column on TheDailyBeast offering his suggestions for saving the U.S. auto industry, filmmaker Michael Moore makes a pretty big claim: "Twenty years ago when I made Roger & Me, I tried to warn people about what was ahead for General Motors (GMGMQ). Had the power structure and the punditocracy listened, maybe much of this could have been avoided. Based on my track record, I request an honest and sincere consideration of the following suggestions ..."

Actually, the truth is pretty much the opposite: Had the industry paid more attention to Michael Moore, its demise would have come much sooner. If the industry had paid less attention, who knows, it might still be around. Sure, part of the problem for General Motors has been its inability to design cars that people want to buy -- but does Michael Moore really know anything about that? Moore's complaint that the company shouldn't close factories that were underperforming, and shouldn't look to make its cost structure competitive with lower-cost producers, is the typical "bury our heads in the sand and ignore globalization" populist rhetoric that has gotten us into so much trouble.