Philosopher George Santayana, states in his oft-repeated refrain, “Those that forget history are condemned to repeat it.” With that in mind, what’s with the American auto industry. You have to wonder how much day dreaming they have to do before they realize the Barbarians are at the Gates. In this case the Barbarians are the high oil prices coupled with the stiff competition from foreign automakers.
Some years back the American Car industry rested on its laurels and produced mediocre and very unexciting cars. Eventually, their practices caught up with them and they were over taken by the foreign manufacturers. Then came the resurgence based on providing trucks and SUV’s to a very receptive American market.
But now the demand for trucks has been seriously reduced to those who actually need trucks for work. The SUV’s are falling through the proverbial floorboards. As a recent article in U.S. News and World Report contends, the major American auto manufacturers may be staring into the abyss of bankruptcy and that could prove ruinous to them.
So where the the foresight? When you hire a team of executives and ruin them through your preemployment screening, isn’t one of the key issues whether you can see which way the wind is blowing? When you pay CEO’s enormous sums of money, aren’t they suppose to prevent the company they head from ugly disaster?
A lot of American workers depend on these companies for their living. Autoworkers make cars and trucks, and it is ridiculous to think this workforce is eligible for retraining, given their large numbers. It is equally as ridiculous to believe that the united States can have a prosperous economy without auto manufacturing being part of it.
Rather than go bankrupt and cause disillusionment, which in turn would result in the consumer abandoning this fading market, you would think these companies would strive for cars that are commensurate with the needs of the modern world. Electric cars, hybrids. Stop selling the glitz and the horsepower, and sell vehicles that can get us around cheaply. Reliable cars. As far as design, I am sure they can hire good designers. We have some of the best art and design schools in the world. Make use of it.
Instead of the CEO’s and top officers bloating themselves any further, spread that money around. Hire the people that will move these industries forward. With disaster there is also opportunity. It takes a certain change in perspective. Most people are more concerned with feeding their family, getting their kids educated, and keeping a roof over their head than they are with how they look inside a car. I would think it is time to look at vehicles as transportation and not so much an ego extension. It’s a radical view, I know. But maybe one that will save the automotive industry.
