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Chapter 11 is far from the end of the US car industry. It may be the beginning, not the end.
Nationalized R&D could save the industry billions while favoring environmental goals.
One national lab for innovation and invention in automotive transportation is a better idea than 3 competing corporations trying to fight it out with the overseas competition. Each their own is a thing of the past. It's time for change. The pay back for inventions is easy. Royalties. If GM sells a certain number of cars their royalty on invention is that times a set fee per car. Same for Ford. Same for any other participant. No jealousies and no big headaches. We are not talking small design changes, or model stylings. We are talking major technological innovations, and those become more possible.
Shedding non core industries that are part of the Big 3 empires would raise capital for core business, and alleviate some of complexity. They make things that have little or nothing to do with cars and light to medium capacity trucks. Some of those businesses are worth significant money and there are companies out there who would be interested in buying them, who specialize in those areas. So you sell off what isn't core, and you fund your core business area. It's an old strategy but not as much in America as in Europe.
Nationalizing (selling off to Uncle Sam) the military component would ultimately improve security while reducing government cost both in terms of R&D and a profitless balance sheet. Uncle Sam does not have to pay the profit portion in that instance. That's a significant chunk of money. Uncle Sam also does not have to be concerned with what the costs of competition add to the equation. Process as to dealing with multiple potential suppliers was always a big cost factor. It need not be. It can all be done for less money and done much more efficiently. Plus, no cheating. Cheating was always expensive too. You have to monitor and guard against it. It becomes much less of a concern, and you eliminate costly waste.
So it could all be good.
Robert Morpheal
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