When a company goes bankrupt nobody needs to be fired the next day. A judge can restructure the company and toss out specific contracts such as executive bonuses, union pay, and debts. Look at Delta Air lines as an example of this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_Air_Lines.
Yeah, except GM is so shaky, and credit markets so tight, there is serious concern that they could enter a 'restructuring' bankruptcy, but end up in a liquidation, because they won't be able to secure bridge and exit financing needed operate while in bankruptcy and to actually restructure their debt.
If they fixed union contracts to become reasonable and limited executive pay then I don't mind government financing as part of that solution, but giving them money when they are as broken as they are now is stupid.
