Have We Come to the End of the Road?

Have we come to the end of the road? Yes and No

Have rich folks come to the end of the road? No

Have middle class folks come to the end of the road? Maybe

The issue I have is that some rich folks will always consume because they have the money. No one will ever say anything to them about it (except on a South-Park episode). What’s sad is that it’s the middle class that’s allways asked to consume less during hard times. The rich folks get a free ride. Even In the article the author is talking about himself not being able to take long trips anymore. He never mentions the fact that rich people need to consume less as well during these times, or do they?.

Why is it that in America the Rich Folks are allowed to consume and destroy the planet while the normal folks have to “consume less” during economic hard times?

There’s a serious double standard in America when it comes to the Rich and Poor.

— LexSucks (View Profile)

Posted on 10/16/2009 5:14:16 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Unfortunately, if anyone were to blame for this situation it's the system that brought us to this dead end, and that is being questioned and shaken to crumbs today. Or maybe is it ourselves that we have to blame for literally buying into the consumerist urge that was, and sadly still is, both cleverly and ruthlessly marketed to us.
I don't see why one couldn't take his children around the country in a lean clean car. Or maybe the point of the author is nostalgia, then it's completely lost on me. One should only be melancholic towards the good parts of the past, and only carry these through to the future. In this case, while loving your country and bequeathing that love to the next generation is praiseworthy; doing so in a car that consumes oil fields whole much less so. My point here is obviously not solely to focus on mpg ratings and emissions; far from it. I think that the cars of the past belong in the past, as does every technology that has been superseded by what's proven to be better. People who desire to live in the past, or worse, be frozen in the present should not try, or be allowed to drag others with them.
As for the cap and trade, well let's just say that in a democratic country, the people have the power, hence the word. The power to steer the trade, from one of money to one, simply of emissions; the cap being necessary and the terms of the trade to be left to the imagination of the exact same generation whose right to travel by car the author seems to be defending.

— nvme (View Profile)

Posted on 10/16/2009 5:28:50 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

No. It takes 60,000 Tons of Fuel to propell 1 warship across the ocean. The ship I was on was very small, it drank 6,000 Gallons over the course of 10 days.

And we are worried about what a car consumes?

— mercuryguy (View Profile)

Posted on 10/16/2009 6:30:38 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 5   

The new Lincoln MKt is an awesome vehicle,
But they missed the boat

I'd rather have a well & holder for a full-size spare than the useless 3rd row seats. The MKt is marketed as a vacation vehicle for long range touring, but no-full size spare?

Audi just releases thier Diesel Option on the Q7 wagon. How will the MKt compete against the more logical Diesel choice? (The New York times proclaimed the MKt to be better than the Audi Q7)

Lincolns new vehicle is great, but it just falls short in some key areas.

One would think at a $50K sticker, The big three could give consumers more choices, insted we get marketing ploys and CAFE standards shoved in our face.

There was a time when the customer could order the car they wanted, now we get what is being pushed in a TV commercial.

— mercuryguy (View Profile)

Posted on 10/16/2009 6:46:50 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

SUCK IT UP DAMMIT!!! We are evolving as a Civilization. We have to change vehicle Styles. In terms of cars we have to grow the fu-k up!!!!


1. Stop acting like a Fat Kid in a Candy Store salivating over your "nice" yummy Gas Powered: SUVs, Penis Coupes, Soccer Mom Vans, needless sports sedans the size of a KIA Rio with 425 HP.

2. Get used to the Ideas of small cars, input ideas to make small cars better. Input ideas to make midsized sedans more fuel efficient.

3. Advocate for: Hybrids, Diesels, Electrics, and Hydrogen.

4. Stop living your lifestyle based upon slovenliness and Instant Gratification.


GROW UP AMERICA!!!!!!!!! We're not a zbuch of rag tag Hillbillies no more. We are a sophisticated Modern Empire.

— HyundaiSmoke (View Profile)

Posted on 10/17/2009 1:22:22 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: -2   

We Must act accordingly. China is the new Blue Collar Rag Tag Hillbilly Country.

— HyundaiSmoke (View Profile)

Posted on 10/17/2009 1:25:28 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

"End of the Road?" Hardly. A speed bump?, perhaps. But, at least it keeps autojournalists who get paid by the word some much needed income writing drivel like this article.

The U.S. will do what the U.S. always does (and better than any other county) - innovate and adapt. And BTW, it's all those "rich folks" who are the engine for this innovation. What Wall Street does is provide the "fuel" for innovation.

I'm one of those "rich guys" you rail against. I employ 50 people at my company and make advanced technology for homeland defense that is used to keep the next 9/11 from happening. If it wasn't for "Wall Steet" I wouldn't have had the funding to begin or grow this company.

And I love cars, and I'm not afraid of the future.

— pcar4evr (View Profile)

Posted on 10/17/2009 6:06:03 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

while the article seems too negatively hesitant about changes, the current form of cap and trade seems very small-country euro-centric. it's legislation that needs to take account of US living standards. that's the job of our leaders, so I hope they have a healthy debate.

Also, the euro countries are not as diverse or tolerant as America. Ask any immigrant if they want to live in Germany or France.

We might get screwed but we'll survive, god bless the USA!

— g2ok (View Profile)

Posted on 10/17/2009 6:02:23 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Consider these Facts:

1. 80% of The Arable farm land is East of the Mississippi.

2. The West with only 5% of America's Arable Farm Land grows 60% of America's food (Mostly in California's Imperial Valley).

3. To Grow Food in the West Requires massive fresh water resources, that we steal by the Hectare from the Mexicans. We take their good clean water and send them back Dirty Chemical and Bacteria Filled water.

4. The West was Meant to only hold 25 Million People. The West now has 114 Million People. Hey there was a reason why 3/4ths of all Native peoples lived east of the Mississippi. I think we will find out=the hard way.

5. In the Eastern US there are vast tracts of Urban environment left destitute becuase of Mass Racially Motivated Suburbanization, and Lower Wage Based job relocation.

If I had it my way, Id wait until the next big time disaster comes and take advantage of that, by forcing Diversity and Environmental responsibility on America. Forcibly Racially integrate the Country by percentage of Race, Forcibly Evict 2/3rds of the Western population and move them to all of those abandoned properties in the Eastern Cities.

Then Again, I dont believe the lies I was told in my youth about Democracy. Democracy should be limited in scope, and what's best for the country should come first.

— HyundaiSmoke (View Profile)

Posted on 10/17/2009 6:40:03 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

The West Should only be: Califonria, Colorado, and Texas.

1. 1/3 of Phoenix/Mesa/Tempe's population should be moved to Detroit Washington D.C. and Philadelphia. Another 3rd should be moved to smaller cities in the West like: Fargo, Billings, Omaha, Oklahoma City, Great Falls, Sioux Falls, Alberqueque, Casper, Cheyenne, Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Seward, Nome, and Barrow.

2. 1/4th of the South's Population should be forced to move up North to Cities.


That Will work to help Solve Long Term Environmental and Racial Problems.

We can still have the Projected 750 Million People by 2075, and live on the same land mass Americans lived on in 1910.

— HyundaiSmoke (View Profile)

Posted on 10/17/2009 6:53:12 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -2   

YAWN....typical sour grapes article by sour grapes old people who feel threatened because the world is changing. It always is changing, and there is nothing wrong with that. We're adapting to a new century and a new world, it is not 1950 anymore.

Grow up.

— DinamoR (View Profile)

Posted on 10/17/2009 7:41:14 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

We all live in cages we have built for ourselves.

— BobbyJ (View Profile)

Posted on 10/18/2009 2:25:40 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

There is truth to this article, I am forced to drive a civic, I would much rather be in a 2010 F150 Rapture, unfortunately with my commute I have to drive an economical civic. And maybe this is north Americas way of cutting down on traffic? Just the rich will be able to drive, the rest of us will be forced to live in condos and take transit.I have to become one of the rich ones,lol

— truckman (View Profile)

Posted on 10/19/2009 5:36:50 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

There's being rich and then there's having an oligarchy. We're on a way towards the latter right now. The rich are given the benefit and privilege to succeed, and they are backstopped by the government when they fail. That's very un-american. Rewards for failure.

And, I don't care what the experts or talking heads say, it's simply unsustainable for very long. Time will prove this out.

So yeah, it looks like the younger generation will shape their lives around the hardships and difficulties we face as a nation over the next decade.

But longer out, people also need to recognize our society is in transformation. The world, the economy, the technology, and the political landscape of 2020 will be much different than it is today. America will, once it confronts these structural changes in our way of life, re-emerge in a much better position. Much different than say the world in 2010 vs the world in 2000.

JMHO.

— fabulescent (View Profile)

Posted on 10/19/2009 10:28:23 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

We are already in a new Guilded Age fabulescent. Where you been dawg?

— HyundaiSmoke (View Profile)

Posted on 10/20/2009 9:02:39 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1