Energy Independence: An American joke
Can the US auto industry end America's foreign energy dependence?Chrysler isn't paying back $7 billion that the government lent to the automaker to stay out of bankruptcy. GM is losing billions by the week. Yet, the government is about to loan the auto industry up to $50 billion to help the US auto industry retool for greater fuel efficiency.
Then there are bailouts for auto suppliers, financing units like GMAC, cash for clunker programs, etc., but why dwell? The real point is, when will all of this bailout money lead to energy independence?
In terms of future fuel efficient, oil dependence-fighting vehicles, it's all about the plug, right? Yet, GM's Chevy Volt probably won't be profitable until the 2020s according to Obama's auto task force unless there is a tripling in gas prices. What happens in the interim? Why can't the Big 3 compete with Toyota's already profitable, 50 mpg Prius?
Thus, many claim that only a gas tax can push America off foreign energy. However, as popular as President Obama is today, even he couldn't push such an idea through Congress.
Today, America's Achilles heal, foreign oil dependency, is more exposed than ever, and by the time we truly realize the dangers of this sick joke, it might be too late. Ironically, however, now that gas prices have fallen, this issue isn't even on America's radar.
Labels: Congress, Foreign Oil Dependency
posted by Dahcredyns at
7:12 AM
8 Comments:
Why you ask ? Its a matter of finances. Its cheaper to spend billions propping up the historically #1 manufacturing segment of the US economy for about a year - yes for billions, than to pay estimated several TRILLION dollars for combined costs of unemployment insurance for years to many MILLIONS, than to have local communities pay for millions of peoples essentially FREE local medical hospital care(they would have no health insurance anymore), to loose billions in tax revenue as thousands of business and millions of people would loose their job THIS year if Obama did nothing.
If Obama did nothing the great depression lord help you and I would be HERE AND NOW. Your web site would within a year be dropped due to your unexpected layoff and then your wife would be looking at you while you were reading the 'help wanted ads' asking you "honey what the hec were you thinking when you wrote that article!'
Sounds funny ? mmm try predicted one in 6 people unemployed if Obama did not spend billions to save trillions and your job and millions of other bread winners.
we've survived the trillions spent on war costs caused by foreign oil dependency, so i think you're entire premise is built on hot air.
moreover, your economics are not only inaccurate, they are completely blown out of proprotion.
the importance of the us auto industry is far less than it was just 10 years ago, let alone a few decades ago, and your trickle down theory of disaster is the same nonsense as bush's trickle down economics.
still, yes, there would be pain, there's always pain when change happens. however, there's usually more pain when change is forced because you no longer have a choice.
nonetheless, it's not as if the auto market in the US would die. furthermore, eventually,
transplants, for instance, could easily pick up the pieces to sell 10 million vehicles+ in the US, even if we stayed in this recession.
moreover, how did spending billions on Chrysler accomplish anything? it's still going into bankrupcty and that money is gone. whether government influenced or not, someone, such as Fiat, still would have bought those assets one way or another with or without the government bailout money.
so your entire argument is based on the same bullshit that has put the US auto industry in the gutter. change is bad. only the uaw can save the world.
still, i'm not arguing the bailout was wrong. i'm arguing that if we don't have a more cohesive plan to use this bailout to end foreign oil dependency in a timely fashion, the US auto industry is only going to wither away anyway. thus more aggressive and focused action is needed.
just check out warren buffetts recent auto investments. it's all china.
we can't out-manufacture china when it comes to cheap vehicles, but we have a chance if we focus on the types of technology that would be required to end foreign oil dependency as fast as possible. that's our big chance, and so far, we're not stepping up to the challenge.
also, according to economics at congressional testimony, it will take more than 100 billion, one way or another, to save the US auto industry.
that chunk of change demands transparency and it demands CHANGE. so, save your union-like propoganda for someone else. only out of the box thinking is going to turn the US auto industry into a thriving industry again, not you old school mentality.
sADLY, there's a lot of truth in this article.
The solution? Lead by example.
Go out and buy the current generation of fuel efficient vehicles, hybrids etc. Show support for this technology and help fund the R&D for the next generation of technology.
We can't wait forever, until that perfect fuel efficient vehicle, with just the right price, comes along.
If you support the current technology, we might help that perfect vehicle to become a reality...
BU!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm tired of arrogant writers making genralized statements like "oil dependence isn't even on America's radar". Sorry if I paraphrased. Oil dependency is on my radar and I'm not buying another car until I can get a decent car at a fair price (I don't mean cheap either) that gets at least 60 MPG with a range of 600 miles. Is anyone alse feel the same. America!!!!! Wake up!!!!! Get your head out of the sand!!!!!
Of course its a generalized statement, yet its funny that you conclude your comment by telling America to get their heads of the sand. So, aren't you saying the same thing?
Obviously, there are some in America, many millions actually, that are ready to do whatever to fight foreign oil dependency, but we're still a small minority. Thus, I think generalizations are in order.
I was the anonymous blogger who wrote "America!!!! Wake up!!!
Unfortunately, I did conclude that most Americans are oblivious to what they need to do to foster energy independence. It's very frustrating, knowing that sometime in the near future, people will be wishing they would have done something about energy independence sooner and they'll blame the government. Bottom line, "Be the change you wish to see in the world....". "Gandhi" The fact that there are so few posts to this article speaks volumes.
Great quote. I have that on a magnet on my refrigerator.
Of course many will blame the government, it's the easy path. Ultimately, I think its the people that need to rethink the way the use energy, especially in regards to autos. I don't think, today, the government - despite Obama's popularity - could sell the people on a solution. We need some kind of cultural revolution.
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