Lee Iacocca an American Engineer

A bit of background first. Scotland has always provided the engineers that made the machines work in England. England became a Great Power (this has become a very dated term in today’s parlance) by using Scottish engineering coupled with English labor. My mother’s people all came from up close to the border with Scotland.

I went into engineering initially when I entered university. I quit before I finished a degree plan but returned some years later and got a degree not in engineering but in computer science because I could even back then see that computers would be the guiding force controlling the factories of the future.

I left science for a short period to learn more about the business side of corporations. I returned to my roots in research and development some 8 years later. This time in charge of the personal computers (there were 2 of them in the whole of the research center) section of the computer group. Some 11 years later I took early retirement as the company had decided to out source my group entirely. When I left there were 1,200 personal computers and my staff of 5 (6 including myself because I hate sitting on my ass as a manager) was responsible for their care and feeding.

This short biography is not meant to do anything other than to show that even dumb heads like me can solve large problems if given a chance. America engineers made America great not the bankers not the Generals and certainly not the politicians. But only those engineers that tinkered and kept getting their hands dirty. Men like Edison and Westinghouse and yes Lee Iacocca.

I too feel that America can and will solve the major problem she faces. That problem frankly is dependence upon fossil fuels for energy. Ultimately we must harness solar power for it is the only limitless supply of clean energy. I am not particularly godly but I might even say god made the sunshine for us to use. And hope a bolt of lighting does not strike me dead at the keyboard.

There are many other things that are wrong with America starting with racial divisions and drugs and continuing all the way down to too many wanting to sit on their collective asses and do nothing. All of those can and must be addressed in due time. First things first. America must solve once and for all the energy problem. I honestly feel given America expertise at problem solving and knowing that we have produced fine solutions before think it can be solved.

Simply put energy is wealth. If American engineers can crack this energy-nut wealth will flow back to America as will jobs and hopefully a strong middle class to help the poor and restrain excesses of the rich. Then and only then will you see an America fit to be a world leader. Currently I am ashamed of the example America is setting.

More at:
http://www.kottke.org/remainder/07/04/13213.html