I’m writing from Detroit, ground zero for the new economy (I’m talking about global depression and destitution, not SEO and e-business) and the news is bad. The big three auto companies or big two now, are in desperate pearl. The bailout money has been denied them and congress will not be able to help them with Bush in office. The oil industry loving President has stated he won’t be helping Detroit automakers, blaming them for giving in to much to the unions. You would think he would thank them for making gas guzzlers that make his beloved oil friends rich, but not so. It doesn’t look like GM will be able to make it until even January when a new president and congress can through a life line. To top it off the Detroit Lions football team is 0-9 so far this season.
However, when I drive around Detroit and its suburbs in Oakland county (once one of the nation’s richest) listening to the continuous dire news coming from the radio, the scene outside doesn’t match what I hear. The bridges are still standing, gas prices are low and people seem to be driving to work. I guess there are more than a few foreign cars around me too, but in general things look stable. I guess looks can be deceiving though, I’m sure the Detroit Lions would look pretty formidable to me if I saw them up close.
Despite what is obviously a bad situation to everyone (and to some it seems we are on the brink of doom) there is probably an upside to this. It has famously been pointed out the renaissance came out of chaotic, warring Italy, not peaceful Switzerland. The point being that stressed, unstable situations can be breading grounds for innovations. It often takes dire situations and shocks to old systems to improve them and make real changes to their general structures. General Motors has been a slow moving goliath of a company, not embracing the winds of change such as fuel economy. The Lions can get a first draft pick and start building a new team. Michigan will have to reinvent itself, it seems even the most optimistic feel the auto makers will have to come back as much smaller companies. Michigan will then have to look towards other industries; perhaps in this environment tech companies can flourish. SEO, e-business, and hundreds of other technologically based company models could fill the space available. Michigan’s workers would have to reinvent themselves as well, but we need a revolution, not a modification. So if there is a silver lining, it is that the change continuously talked about in our last presidential election isn’t just a possible path forward, it’s the only one.