OrionWorks writes: > I can't speak for Jed, but what personally bothers me are those who DO make a > decent income and > therefore CAN afford to purchase any kind of car on the market. But what do > many of them long for? > What really jerks their chain? The biggest, meanest, the most powerful > testosterone looking gas > guzzling SUV they can get their hands on. Why? Because owning a SUV gives > them the illusion that once > they are behind the wheel they are sitting in the seat of power.
EXACTLY right. I could not have put it better. I think many of these people are pathetic losers, and now that we face a real crisis, global warming, and a war for oil, they are unpatriotic jerks. (Okay, it may not be a "war for oil" exactly, but oil plays a big role, and we would not be fighting it if Iraq had no oil.) The auto companies figured out the personality of the typical SUV buyer years ago, and began targeting ads. It is not a pretty picture. See Bradsher's book "High and Mighty." A review is here: http://www.oilcrash.com/articles/suvs.htm I should not exaggerate though. There are some fine people who drive SUVs, and some who need them, such as mechanics, carpenters and farmers. - Jed