to the casual observer, much of what General Electric has been doing the past few years seems to epitomize the troubled situation of American businesses. For more than a century GE brought the world great inventions, such as light bulls, electric dishwashers, and CAT scanners, all the while creating jobs and making lives easier.In recent years, however, GE's strategic move appear to be grim and unimaginative. Under Chairman John F. Welch, Jr., a major cost-cutting campaign has shaken the company, changed the way it does business, and eliminated 100,000 employees. On the other side of the coin, Which closed a deal to acquire RCA, resulting in the largest merger outside of the energy industry.