Because we can

Looks like the bailout of the Big 3 US auto makers is going to make it through the government's chutes and ladders. In one sense, this is a good thing. America once had a healthy manufacturing base but now the auto industry represents a big part of what's left. It would sadden me to see our place in the world of making things further diminished by letting the US auto industry die. And, as has been pointed out, the jobs that would be lost if the Big 3 go belly-up are largely blue collar jobs. For these reasons I support the bailout.

However, the Big 3 have consistently ridden the wave of cheap oil by producing huge gas guzzlers. Plus, like most corporations in this country, the auto makers already get huge tax breaks, and are demanding more tax breaks to manufacture more fuel-efficient vehicles. Also, no thanks to GM for killing the electric car*, which was hugely popular during a trial run in California in the 90s and which offered an affordable, sustainable alternative to gas-powered transportation.

But the other half of the formula is American drivers. During the era of cheap and abundant oil, we loved our big ole SUVs. Who cares that they only get 16 mpg? And then there are the mega trucks and Hummers that abound and get even lower gas mileage. In consternation, a friend of mine once asked a driver of a huge truck, "why such a big car?" He scowled at her and growled, "because I can."

In the meantime, I find myself hoping that gas goes up to $5 per gallon. Maybe then the attitude will be, "I can't."
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*Watch the documentary, "Who killed the electric car?" to learn the whole story http://www.whokilledtheelectriccar.com/