Falls the Shadow

Yglesias has a smart post on the potential gulf between the GM bailout smart liberals would like to see take place and the GM bailout as it's actually likely to happen.

I feel like some of the commentary on the prospect of an auto industry bailout is starting to remind me of some of the stuff I fell for before we invaded Iraq. The kind of thing where someone yes, "yes this sounds like a bad idea, but if we do it like this and like that and like this then it'll all be okay, therefore we should do it." Which is fine. But we also need to ask ourselves, if we accept the proposition of Detroit's management, the UAW, and Michigan politicians that what's good for General Motors is good for America, how likely is any of this stuff to happen.

... The mere fact that it would be desirable to do something to keep everyone who depends on the car industry for a living that simultaneously restores the domestic car firms' economic viability and serves environmental policy goals doesn't make it possible.

Words for pundits and policymakers to live by, I'd say.