Manufacturing is extremely important! The supply chain is of utmost importance, especially
in the domestic auto industry. An automobile is comprised of a simple nut (hopefully made
well) to well engineered frames and other such parts, all the way to complicated computers.
This auto "supply chain" is the most complicated and elaborate of any manufacturing system.

This country is 70% service oriented and only about 30% manufacturing. The manufacturing
base has collapsed considerably in the last 30 years. Without a manufacturing base, a
country loses its ability to create and make products. This is dangerous for the stability of a country; not to mention poor economics! When you consider that manufacturing also includes transplant facilities from other countries, there is another huge loss.

These foreign based facilities do not have the complicated supplier chain as the domestics do. They are basically build only facilities. The important pieces and parts are made overseas and
imported to the American factories.

Is there anyone or anything to blame? No I think it is a chain of events that occurred in
America because that is the way this great nation has always worked. But can it be changed?
It absolutely can be changed! With the right decisions by government, by top management, and
by all the workers this great nation will recover to the way it once was. I never read in any text
books that America must go down in a blaze of flames only to have its economy crushed.

Two more items: The service sector is now being challenged by overseas firms; the outcome is not good.

AND I'VE SAID IT BEFORE, AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN - COMMUNICATION IS KEY WITHIN ALL DEPARTMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURING OF VEHICLES. AND THAT INCLUDES OUTSIDE SUPPLIERS, CONTRACTORS, ETC.!

GM and Design (Ford Too)

In order for General Motors to make inways back into it's share of the car market, it must build cars with radically different styles that are completely appealing. It is obvious that a car that will last and not have the least of repairs matters too. But for now it must be a revolution in design (NOT EVOLUTION) that will drive buyers back into the showrooms.

For too long (26+ years) most of the cars manufactured all have a similar look. If you put many of these cars together, you'd see my meaning. They have rounded edges, if not round all together, and have the "aero" look. It's time for a design change! Get some sharp angles in there, and work the body so there is more flush sides. I am not a designer, but it can be easily seen if one just imagines on this design standard for quite a few moments.

Whilst GM is working on these new and fantastic designs, they can concurrently engineer better, work at the durability issue in all phases of manufacturing, AND use the best parts. AND COMMUNICATION AMONG THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS IS A NECESSITY!

Management must decree this, and if they do their job well, I see a larger percent of the market for their company.

He Made This Scene

By far and away, our greatest president was Abraham Lincoln. He was shot on this exact day (and Good Friday) 141 years ago. He would live for 9 hours and 9 minutes.

There is so terribly much written about Lincoln it might be fruitless to write any more. But the fact of the matter is that the 16,000 plus books (and counting) written about him, strive to get to the crux of who Lincoln was.

Lincoln suffered. This is a fact. But he also had jocularity (verifiable by his private secretary - Nicolay). He was humble. This can be verified by many eyewitnesses.

And Lincoln was great. When Lincoln made his Cooper Union Address and had finished, a man on the street was asked by Noah Brooks (well known reporter) what he thought of Lincoln. The man replied, "He's the greatest man since St. Paul."

That was in 1860. We know from there it would only become worse for Lincoln with the soul troubling responsibilities of the Civil War.

Well I could go on and on, but there are 16,000 plus books out there that one could read.

Masterpieces

The only way the American car companies are going to sell cars like hotcakes at this point of the game, is to make outstanding designs for their cars. Let's face it, most cars out there look like drivel and going all out with design will make winners.

The durability of these cars will come as time will show, if engineered and pieced together correctly with all the best parts.

The "quality" issue cannot be seen overnight. It takes a minimum of five years to be able to tell if a car is well made. But design has an immediate satisfaction and thrill. And let's face it, as I said before, the cars of the last twenty six years have been less than stellar. So if a car is sharp and catches the eye in a big way, it'll sell!