July 4th is upon us. As I look back on these last 20-30 years, I am amazed at the great changes wrought in America. The old GM, RCA, AT&T; all are no more. Our homes, our hearths, our schools, our malls… everything is evolving. This change frightens some, invigorates some, and empowers others. Some embrace change and flower, some resist and get steam rolled. Life goes on. Let’s look at the American car. T’was a time when every red blooded American spent his weekend under his GM car, fixing all the parts that had died during the week. Not only was that fun, it provided bragging rights at work the next week. Changing transmissions was the ultimate achievement, worth 10 points changing alternators a mere trifle worth only one point. Today the car is an indispensable weapon in the eternal battle to pay the next mortgage. Americans jump in their cars, go to work, finish their shift, jump back in and go to their second job. Perhaps a brief stop at a drive thru to get a burger, or a taco,. There is nobody at work to appreciate the arcanum of a transmission change or the thrills of a shiny Sears craftsman 3/8″ wrench, guaranteed for life. Cars are like refrigerators. Buy em, gas em, and drive em. Perhaps that is why GM went belly-up. America evolved, left them behind. I wonder what Darwin would make of all this?
GM, July 4th, America and Change……
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