Re: Dow closes near 13000!!!
Our current electrical grid is in such a state that adding auto's to the mix on any great scale could be disasterous. Batteries are not the panacea of green technology that some would hold them out to be. Especially in this country. I believe that the future of autos lies in a mix of technology. Biodeisel, ethanol, electric, hydrogen perhaps, and gasoline as the primary. Look at the commericals that our out today touting "green" technology in cars. Modern cars are even rated on their "green" impact. The "religion of peace" area's of the world are just becoming more and more hands off even for those who are seeking oil without environmental concerns. The political ramifications are to be considered.
GM is suffering from a variety of group think, aniquated mentalities, and simply its own bloated weight. The liposuction procedures they are undergoing is helping. New management with fresh modern ideas, committment to techology, and attrition of the old "we have always done things this way" people are positioning this company for success. Today's green technology will be humorous in the next ten years. Innovation is driven by the creative mind. The foreign manufacturers are good at improving existing designs. They are not so good at thinking outside the box. Most of the hot new designs are not coming from Asia, they are coming out of design studios in California and Michigan. They often have toyota or Honda as brands on them though. Hyundai has an envyable reputation for the products they are building right here in America.
As I said earlier, GM is in my doghouse, but like any dynamic company looking to succeed, the bad eggs get weeded out. The future will tell what direction they will take, but from all the literature I read, the shakeup at GM goes from the board room, to the shop floor. In this environment, innovation comes naturally. And business models are made on the market, and not with so called covert alliances with "Big Oil". I have never seen one link between "Big Oil" and the auto industry published in any credible source. I don't believe there is one. If that were the case "big electrical" would be in there bidding as well.
I hope I am right and you are wrong, for the sake of this country and for no other reason. You may be right and GM may crumble. But if it does, nothing good will result from it. You can't wish technology into existance, it has to be driven. GM's strength will be the whip.