It remains to be seen whether U.S. tax dollars headed to auto-parts manufacturers in Taiwan will spark the same sort of public outrage as did the AIG executive bonus saga.

Panjiva's Green writes that the is most important right now.

"Those charged with assisting the auto industry are right to worry about the health of [The Big Three] suppliers," he writes. "Even if consumer demand picks up, the Big Three will not survive if their supply chains disappear. However, it's not just domestic suppliers that are in trouble right now-overseas suppliers are in trouble, too."