Daily Podcast: The Ugly American?
"(Americans see it as) their God-given right to buy the largest vehicle they possibly can, own as many vehicles as they can, trade them for new vehicles as often as they can, drive them as much as they want and wherever they want." The idea that the average American is a stupid, selfish, size-obsessed planet-killer is an intellectual conceit, created and perpetuated by intellectually-conceited members of the European chattering class. In truth, Americans are no or more less politically, socially or environmentally aware than their European equivalents. But analyst Dennis DesRosiers isn't entirely off-base when he says there's only one "real" reason Americans aren't continuing their fuelish ways: they're broke. "If gas prices come back down to earth… Americans are going to go back to larger vehicles and watch out, there may just be a shortage of capacity." IF gas prices stay level for five years AND people can get out of their loans, maybe. Meanwhile, not. And a shortage of capacity? Only if you define "too much" as "not enough." But is there anything really fundamentally wrong with wanting a large, comfortable vehicle? See? We're already engaged in that debate. All of us.
More by Robert Farago
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It is ironic and somewhat funny to listen to Americans bitch and moan about the high price of everything nowadays yet for the most part they appear to be entirely too ignorant to identify their cupabilty in our current situation. DO you guys know how silly you look complaining that the government need to "do something" (cant say what) about the price of gas. AS IF, buying vehicles that uselessly need twice as much fuel to run does NOT have "something" to do with the problem. I guess folks never take into consideration just how much extra petroleum is being used to create all the extra sqaure yards of plastic inside your SUV. Today MIDDLE-CLASS America is broke! Like a bunch of fools they simply transfered the vast majority of middle-class accumulated wealth into the hands of a relatively few wealthy Americans and international players that beat the drum of wasteful consumption. Today the government that they think should "do something" to help thinks the solutions is to give you back about less than 1% of the your total tax burden in hopes (with a great deal of encouragement) they you will simply go right out and transfer this little bit of cash right back into the hands of those same wealthy folks that DO NOT feel any responsibilty to never maintain or repair any of the infrastruture of this country (unless it is on their own private property and paid for with your tax dollars). It is sad to see that folks are too stupid to understand that this whole idea of "ME above everyone else" is nothing more than a dumb poly for you to overcome any sense of community and feel comfort in being a selfish jerk-off. THAT IS HOW AMERICAN BIG BUSINESS WANTS YOU TO THINK! Folks that talk that "I'm a unique individual American" are NOT free thinkers but actually indoctrinated fools marching to a standard drill. Everyone should spend some time in the advertising and marketing business in the USA. IF you do you will quickly come to understand how the whole SUV fade was "created" by some clever folks. Come on, did you actually believe that one day millions of good ole sedan driving American just woke up desiring a 5000lb SUV? Also spend some time in waste management in the USA to get another perspective on our AMERICAN culture. Go to a landfill or recycling plant and have a good look, I don't see garbage I see a great deal of wasted US dollar that did NOTHING to make our country a better place. "A FOOL AND HIS MONEY WILL SOON PART"
Menno: your link leads to unreadable gobbledegook.