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Comments: 1-15, 16-30, 31-45, 46-60, 61-72
5:06's comments might seem accurate on the surface, but the issue is many orders of magnitude more complex than that. The following link puts things in excellent perspective and echo my feelings on this, so I will not bother to articulate them here.
http://www.uwsa.com/issues/trade/japanyes.html
Buying Japanese cars, regardless of whether they are made in the US are not, is very damaging to the US economy. Any American concerned about the economic future of our country, who might be using (albeit with the right intentions) the fact that some Japanese cars are made in the US to rationalize their purchase of one, should give this an objective read.
Thanks.
16:03 Where I live there are a number of large late model SUV's. If you live in a more affluent area you will see Navigators, Denalis, Escalades etc. everywhere. I have a family and have DVD's,navigation,Onstar, Ipod etc in mine. The family rides in comfort and are not in line to a chiropractor on the way back on a long trip. Not everyone wants an underpowered, cramped import if fuel is not a factor. I have driven a lot of vehicles owned imports and domestics and will take a full size domestic anyday. Ride in a new loaded full size domestic SUV and see where I am coming from. I also own a new loaded Silverado much superior in my opinion then a Tundra.
21:29 He DID state the facts! The Big 3 are selling their labor out of the country. That is a FACT. Deal with it.
19:59, take a look at the link in 16:14, and you will see the reason why what you cite is occurring. The issue is not nearly as superficial as your emotional comment suggests. Some drastic corrections to US "free trade" policies have to be made in order to correct the problem.
Unfortunately, the issue of "free trade" seems to have become more of a religion too many of its proponents, than a basic economic theory. To even hint that there might be something wrong is like attacking some of these people's personal faith. So I am not too optimistic that the problem will be solved. But if you (19:59) are an American, you should not be gloating about the serious problem you enthusiastically point out.
18:55 Lift your eyes out of your 'affluent', gated community and look at what's going on in the world.
Fuel is ALWAYS a factor now. The Denali, Escalade, and Navigator; three of the most pretentious, wasteful vehicles made today. It gives me a bad taste in my mouth every time I see some oblivious soccer mom driving one around with her one spoiled kid watching a DVD in the back. Thanks to her not caring about oil consumption, and probably the environment in general, her precious little brat will have to endure 125 degree summers and a shortage of water in his/her lifetime.
These vehicles should be immediately banned, and after 30 days, if you're caught driving one, you get fined and the vehicle goes straight to the crusher.
<<16:03 Where I live there are a number of large late model SUV's. If you live in a more affluent area you will see Navigators, Denalis, Escalades etc. everywhere. I have a family and have DVD's, navigation, Onstar, Ipod etc in mine. The family rides in comfort and are not in line to a chiropractor on the way back on a long trip. Not everyone wants an underpowered, cramped import if fuel is not a factor. I have driven a lot of vehicles owned imports and domestics and will take a full size domestic anyday. Ride in a new loaded full size domestic SUV and see where I am coming from. I also own a new loaded Silverado much superior in my opinion then a Tundra.>>
Give me a break. I live in one of the wealthiest areas of the country based on real estate prices and incomes, yet ALL I see around here are Priuses and other subcompacts.
And which imports are cramped and underpowered? Have you even sat in one much less looked at one?
I've ridden in a full size SUV and never been so scared in my life. The things feel like they are going to tip over at every turn and they certainly can't brake worth anything. And I couldn't stop laughing once we had to fill up.
15:59.
He stated:
"Let's face facts Ford, GM, and Dodge are no longer American made, they are more Latin American made now"
Please show us data that clearly shows MOST GM/Ford/Dodge are assembled in Latin America, or that even most of the parts are from there.
(You won't be able to because it's not true)
Do not just throw a statement out like that if you can't back it up. Why are you trying to mislead readers?
I was in a GM plant before. I've been too many auto suppliers. I realize that many parts can come from all over the world. But to say what this guy said is a complete lie.
And for you to just add "It's true" or "he's right" still doesn't make his claim valid.
18:55, I do not dispute that we should conserve oil, protect the environment, and unless a person "needs" a large SUV, it is probably better to avoid getting one. One should not take more from the Earth than he or she needs.
But, you really should re evaluate your statement which suggests we will be having 125 degree summers if people drive large SUV's, suggesting that humans somehow have the ability to control the climate. We can pollute the Earth and make it an unpleasant and unhealthy place to live, but change the climate...no.
A majority of scientists (including myself) do not agree with the theory of global warming. But you will not hear that side of the story in the news media. A committed environmentalist, I most certainly am. I passionately stand up against pollution and excessive oil consumption. But, I will not jump on the global warming bandwagon and and stand by as it is claimed to be scientific fact, when it is simply not true.
The global warming myth is one of the biggest hoaxes perpetrated in the name of science (mainly by non scientists) since people were claiming the Earth was flat. Stand up against pollution and abuse of our natural resources, but deprogram your self and take another look at the global warming scam.
07:23 I'd be interested to hear who you work for.
Global warming is not a 'scam', and carbon dioxide emissions walk hand in hand with temperatures around the planet. The science behind it is inarguable.
Yes, humans do have the ability to change the climate; we've already done it! Snow caps and glaciers are melting, and temperatures around the world are rising drastically; in the oceans; everywhere.
Any simple graph depicting CO2 emissions and worldwide temperatures since the advent of the industrial revolution will show this. It's the oil companies and our government that continue to ruin things and fail to do anything about it.
Besides, what will saying that global warming is a scam accomplish? Maybe keeping the oil companies and the government in a position to continue raping the public over oil prices? Ever consider how or why Al Gore was denied the presidency through illegal action in Florida? They (Republicans/Bush) wouldn't allow a staunch environmentalist to gain the presidency. Too much of a threat to Big Business and the oil companies.
No credible scientist will argue against the fact that global warming is real, unless they're being paid enough to do so.
So, who do you work for?
<<A majority of scientists (including myself) do not agree with the theory of global warming. But you will not hear that side of the story in the news media. A committed environmentalist, I most certainly am. I passionately stand up against pollution and excessive oil consumption. But, I will not jump on the global warming bandwagon and and stand by as it is claimed to be scientific fact, when it is simply not true.>>
Sorry, but this is 100% proven UNTRUE as no LEGITIMATE scientist disputes the concept of global warming. Please do not spread disinformation on this site, as all you are doing is giving SUV owners fodder for their unhealthy habit.
I knew responses like this to my comment about global warming were coming. First let me say that me posting a comment on this site does not place me on a criminal trial, where I have to answer accusatory demands to know where I work. Where I work is my business.
You are dead wrong saying global warming is 100% proven. You cannot single handedly speak for the entire scientific community. I certainly do not claim to do that, but I have a lot more people in my camp (who do not believe in the global warming myth) than you do. To site a source you might be familiar with, only 13% of scientist respondents to a survey put out by the one and only Green Peace indicated that they thought our current energy usage would lead to climate change.
Why in the world do you have to bring politics (the Florida election) into this? That is completely completely irrelevant to any form scientific inquiry, but never-the-less suggests where you get your marching orders from.
A previous comment pointed out the earth shattering fact, that right now on this planet, glaciers melting. What is your point? Glaciers have been receding and regenerating for hundreds of years. Glacier cycles, like temperature cycles, are just that, cyclic. Ice shelves have been breaking off for as long as climate data has been recorded. There have been several documented periods of glaciers growing and then retreating.
Temperature fluctuations, including glacier melt-offs are completely normal, but they are influenced not only by temperature trends around the earth, but also precipitation. Any climatological model that does not take both of these factors into account is woefully incomplete.
If you think humans and so-called "green house gasses" are responsible for glaciers melting, then how do you explain all the major melt offs that occurred before our industrialization? The Earth produces so many times more "green house" gasses than humans do, that the amount we produce can for all practical purposes be considered negligible. If we are supposed to experience all of these drastic changes in our lifetime by virture of our actions, then shouldn't have just any one of the major volcanic erruptions that have occurred over the past few decades, which produced many times the more "green house" gasses than man has ever created in his existance, have caused these dramatic changes over night? Last I checked, the climate has been stable within .1 degree Celcius for the past 100 years, which is well within reasonable natural variations.
Do you care to restate your case with facts, or should I just expect more impassioned speculation?
It seems Global Warming has become the next Holocaust, any one who dares to refute it with scientific evidence will be silenced.
<<It seems Global Warming has become the next Holocaust, any one who dares to refute it with scientific evidence will be silenced.>.
Sorry, but no LEGITIMATE scientist has said that global warming does NOT exist.
19:51 Are you REALLY a scientist? The facts are there, and they are conclusive, global warming is happening.
Haven't you ever seen one of those charts that illustrates the earth's temperature over the last 100,000 years? Notice the extremely sharp spike upwards in the last 200 years. It's off the charts! Ever seen a chart that shows carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over the same 100,000 year period? You can virtually lay the two on top of each other and they match exactly!
Haven't you seen photos of mountaintops and glaciers that have ALWAYS been covered in ice and are now melting? What about lakes around the world that are drying up to nothing? These changes are most definitely NOT the natural cycle of things. I can't believe you're arguing this, but being as you refuse to state who you work for, I'm sure these truths are not good for them to admit.
The ocean currents that have been stable for centuries are changing because of the recent drastic differences in temperature that have never occurred before. Why do you think that areas of the world that NEVER had tornadoes or hurricanes are having them now? All records are being shattered as far as the frequency of these events around the world. It's getting worse, in an extremely short period of time, geologically speaking. ALL aspects of the earth's climate and atmosphere are showing radical changes to extremes that have never been even close to reached before the industrial revolution.
If you actually believe that all of this is a hoax, then you are part of a group of people that are an extreme minority when it comes to this issue.
No reputable scientist denies global warming is real. The causes are a little more complex than just cars, but NO ONE can argue that the MORE fuel a vehicle consumes the MORE pollutants it puts in the air. EVERY PARTICLE of pollution contributes to global warming, thus more fuel efficient cars are better for the world as a whole.
With that said, I still refuse to drive Japanese cars because of the HORRIBLE reliability of the ones I have owned. I recommend the small GM, Ford and Chrysler vehicles because of their better reliability and relatively good mileage.
Because of the highly toxic batteries the hybrids use, and the environmemtal impact of discarding them, I DO NOT encourage hybrid use. Most 4-cylinder cars get almost as high mileage as most hybrids in real world use anyway.