Bravo! REH
----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, September 19, 2003 12:51 PM Subject: RE: [Futurework] "Wettbewerb macht frei"? (market competition) > Harry, > > Let's say that we legislate the general dimensions of passenger cars. For > city use they all are somewhat like a Corolla. In fact for all uses. So in > an accident it is Corolla-type vehicles against other Corolla-type vehicles. > > > We standardize on other things in our society (plugs, suitcases for carry on > travel, etc) so why not standardize on vehicle size. Put all the "bells and > whistles" you want in them. But keep size and weight somewhat the same. > > Too much government you say? You say you want the freedom to choose? You > want to drive the SUV of your choice--perhaps a Hummer. Well to protect > myself from freedom loving folks such as you I will appear in traffic with > Sherman tank. > > arthur > > -----Original Message----- > From: Harry Pollard [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2003 7:18 PM > To: Cordell, Arthur: ECOM; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: RE: [Futurework] "Wettbewerb macht frei"? (market competition) > > > Arthur, > > Chris is often wrong, but never realizes it because he takes no notice of > correction. > > On my recent trip, neither of our car hires provided me with the cars I > wanted. In each case I was upgraded to an SUV. They were great to drive, > had lots of glass and space for viewing, and they were loaded with all the > bells and whistles with which men love to play. > > Our British car was a diesel, which somewhat surprised me. I thought they > were mostly a thing of the past. It gobbled fuel, which hurt at those > English prices. > > Light trucks have a high driver casualty rate. SUV's were statistically > bundled in with light trucks which gave a completely wrong impression. > > These results was touted by those who didn't like SUV's as proof that they > were dangerous. Actually sub-compacts have a worse driver casualty rate > than SUV's - but sub-compacts are beloved of the anti-SUV crowd so we > mustn't mention that. > > Want safety? Get one of the specialty luxury cars - of the Affinity, Lexus, > ilk. Of course they are a might pricey but you have to pay for excellence. > > Chris mentioned "previously popular light/solar vehicles". I don't know > where he gets these fantasies. > > Harry > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Arthur wrote: > > >Chris has a point. Fuel efficiency standards were brought into law. The > >SUV was the loophole to dodge the standards. Politicians and lobbyists > >allowed a product to capture a large share of the market. A product that > >yields some private benefit (a feeling of power, a Marlboro man--but the > >rollovers become the cancer of the Marlboro analogy) at a large public > >cost (fuel usage and pollution and crowding). If the SUV was counted as > >part of the CAFE standards it would have not been built in such quantities. > > > >arthur > > > >-----Original Message----- > >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2003 9:25 AM > >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Subject: [Futurework] "Wettbewerb macht frei"? (market competition) > > > > > >Harry Pollard wrote: > > > Detroit made more money from replacement parts than from their cars - > > > until the Japanese arrived. Then competition from those who made a > > > $100 profit a car, rather than Detroit's $1,200 forced them to rethink. > > > > > > Also, the Japanese cars were better as well as cheaper. > > > > > > Nothing like a little market competition to cut down corporation excess. > > > >Then Detroit discovered the SUV, enabling them to make a $10,000 profit > >a car for crappy hardware. (Even $15,000 for the GM Suburban SUV.) > >And guess what, the Japs copied that too. Even the Euros copied it, > >because it's such a great cash cow. But wait, aren't the consumers > >(which you say you love so much) being ripped off by selling them > >overpriced, accident-prone crap with much higher running costs (i.a. fuel > >consumption) ?? And aren't all people being screwed with much higher > >air pollution and cancer rates by those SUVs ? (a SUV with 10 mpg emits > >about __40 times more__ cancer-causing particles than a conventional > >non-diesel car with 40 mpg) > > > >Car manufacturers have a choice: either jump on the SUV bandwagon or > >go out of business. Makers of previously popular light/solar vehicles > >can go packing because in the "arms race on the road" ignited by SUVs, > >people grab for rolling fortresses in order not to be crushed by others. > > > >So much for the wonderful market competition. Which then continues in > >the "health market" cashing in on all those cancer & accident victims. > > > >Maybe it has to do with the fact that America has the best politicians > >money can buy. Competition even in the _market_ of politicians... > > > >Chris > > > > > >_______________________________________________ > >Futurework mailing list > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework > >_______________________________________________ > >Futurework mailing list > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework > > > > > >--- > >Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. > >Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > >Version: 6.0.515 / Virus Database: 313 - Release Date: 9/1/2003 > > **************************************************** > Harry Pollard > Henry George School of Social Science of Los Angeles > Box 655 Tujunga CA 91042 > Tel: (818) 352-4141 -- Fax: (818) 353-2242 > http://home.comcast.net/~haledward > **************************************************** > > _______________________________________________ > Futurework mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework > _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
