Do members of the government want to keep us addicted to oil

austingreen · Dec 2, 2012

I was emailed this earlier in the year opinion piece. Its quite provacative, and makes you think about why government policy seems to keep oil use high
The American Spectator : The Problem With High-Mileage Cars

Which may be part of the reason government policies are set to keep oil use and thus oil taxes high

There is a big problem with high-mileage cars -- from the point-of-view of the government.

Less revenue.
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What has been the justification normally is safety. But maybe the government should come clean and tell us the truth, european cars still are safe, and there is no reason we need to push this footprint argument or add weight to a european design for safety.

But, it's a hot potato, politically. People -- most people -- may not be ready for that ... yet. In the meanwhile, it's easier to keep selling them gas pigs. They're sold as safe gas pigs, of course. And late-model America leg humps safety like an unfixed mongrel dog.

Probably we won't see 70 MPG-capable cars like the European-specVW Passat BlueMotion 1.6 TDI over here until the cost of fuel (via taxation) is comparable to what it is over there. At which point, the problem nicely solves itself. Meanwhile, expect more hot air -- moretalk about high-mileage cars.

And much less action.

Or rather, less in the way of action to remove the regulatory stumbling blocks that make it all-but-impossible to build a genuinely economical car -- or even to import reasonably economical ones like the European Passat 1.6 TDI over here. What we'll get, instead, will be more cost and more cumbersome technology -- all nicely wrapped up in "safety" gift-wrap. In a few years, this will render new cars all-but-unaffordable.
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Do members of the government want to keep us addicted to oil

austingreen Senior Member

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Do members of the government want to keep us addicted to oil

austingreen Senior Member