statler
Senior Member
- Joined
- May 25, 2006
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(I know this idea is riddled with technological, economical and political flaws, but it's just a pipe dream...go with it)
Verizon is attempting to reinvent itself from a 'telephone company' to a 'communications company'. Newspaper are trying (and failing) to reinvent themselves as 'media companies'.
What if auto manufactures reinvent themselves as 'transportation companies?'
What if instead of the government just handing the Big Three a check and saying 'keep doing what you are doing', they promise them large & exclusive contracts for building and maintaining national, regional and local railways? Detroit could keep it factories open building the train cars while thousands of local jobs could be created building and maintaining the railways.
Of course rail cars have a much longer lifespan than private automobiles, but this would be a huge, long term project so by the time the last of railway is put in place the first cars in the system will need to be replaced. Plus the market for domestic automobiles won't completely dry up, so that will fill in some gaps as well.
The car companies would would profit from the government contracts and the government would profit from increased taxes from a revived economy thanks to the added jobs, and more efficient transportation system.
This of course would require a radical reworking of both the Big Three and our current rail systems, but if there is any truth to our cherished notions of 'American Ingenuity' and 'Can-Do Spirit' then it should be possible.
Just my crazy thought of the day.
Verizon is attempting to reinvent itself from a 'telephone company' to a 'communications company'. Newspaper are trying (and failing) to reinvent themselves as 'media companies'.
What if auto manufactures reinvent themselves as 'transportation companies?'
What if instead of the government just handing the Big Three a check and saying 'keep doing what you are doing', they promise them large & exclusive contracts for building and maintaining national, regional and local railways? Detroit could keep it factories open building the train cars while thousands of local jobs could be created building and maintaining the railways.
Of course rail cars have a much longer lifespan than private automobiles, but this would be a huge, long term project so by the time the last of railway is put in place the first cars in the system will need to be replaced. Plus the market for domestic automobiles won't completely dry up, so that will fill in some gaps as well.
The car companies would would profit from the government contracts and the government would profit from increased taxes from a revived economy thanks to the added jobs, and more efficient transportation system.
This of course would require a radical reworking of both the Big Three and our current rail systems, but if there is any truth to our cherished notions of 'American Ingenuity' and 'Can-Do Spirit' then it should be possible.
Just my crazy thought of the day.