GM and America together slide toward calamity

Once a paragon of American industrial might, GM is sputtering before our eyes. GM has tenaciously held to paradigms that no longer exist and continued to build vehicles that don't fit changing times and consumer tastes. In contemplating GM's "choice," one would surmise that failure was never a conscious goal; there was never that fateful board meeting where directors schemed, "Let's destroy the company." But the result of continuing bad decisions may ultimately prove to be the same.

America, too, is exhibiting the inability to adjust. In many ways, our empire suffers from the attributes and behaviors that have doomed all empires before us. Like GM, we stumble, clueless, into the future, wondering why what worked so well before works no more.

The warning signs of failure are everywhere. We're experiencing military overextension. We're failing to protect the environment that nurtures us. Third is our financial crisis. Finally, our inability to prepare for our coming energy crisis will prove catastrophic. Oil in particular is destined to become increasingly scarce as we approach the peak of international production.

Like GM, America must act to meet emerging challenges, yet both seem incapable. Adjusting to new realities by becoming more sustainable and equitable will become the defining challenge of our era. We're on a one-way street toward calamity. A U-turn is urgently in order.

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(2006-01-07 12:42:23 SGT) [Energy] Permalink

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