From an industrial standpoint, few companies symbolize the United States' decade of descent more aptly than Ford.

Ford. The mere name conjures up images of deeply-flawed auto market assumptions, an inability to cope with intense foreign auto manufacturer competition, inertia, and an inability to identify what's considered 'cool' among young adults.

As an example: how many young professionals do you know who want to 'run out and buy a Ford today?' These are the main reasons Ford's (NYSE: F) shares have plunged to about $2 per share. Its market cap is down to about $4.55 billion. In 2000, Ford's shares traded above $30.

Ford: it can't get any worse

Well, to paraphrase a song by The Beatles, Ford's stakeholders, including parties who are sitting on large blocs of stock, 'have to believe it's getting better, because it can't get any worse.'

Ford said it will re-hire 1,000 laid-off workers to assemble the company's most important product, the F-150 pickup, The New York Times reported Friday, with the company adding that it expects consumer demand to increase for the product. As a result, Ford says it doesn't need to merge with anyone to survive.

Big Three automakers General Motors (NYSE: GM), Ford (NYSE: F) and Chrysler plan to decrease production of full-size pickups - - including curtailing production for all or part of January 2008, due to a slowing economy that's expected to decrease sales, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

Earlier this week General Motors announced it will impose a two-week shutdown at its pickup truck plants in January 2008.

Ford said its truck plants would likely reduce overtime or impose temporary shutdowns in January 2008 as part of its Q1 production cutback.

Chrysler LLC said it will stop production at plants in Warren, Mich., and Fenton, Mo., right before Christmas through all of January 2008.