Kudos to Detroit. And at the same time, a caution.
First the praise. When the economy was hit with paralysis following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, no one can say that U.S. automakers didn't do their part to get things moving again. They were acting in their own self-interest, of course. But this looks like one of those cases in which what's good for General Motors, in fact, does turn out to be good for the country.
When GM rolled out interest-free vehicle financing a few days after the attacks, other U.S. car makers were forced to follow suit. The result: Consumers opened their wallets. And how!