NEWS FLASH!!! "Americans are Idiots" and I'm from Poland, we have American jokes about you guys not being able to hold your silverware correctly through an entire meal due to being completely uncivilized!
So you've been watching us get busy? I guess I can't blame you, since all ten or eleven of your attractive women had the good sense to expatriate themselves a long time ago.
Maybe it's just me using an anecdote, but I have yet to meet anyone I know using the gas prices as a means to get a fuel eating vehicle. Infact I've heard the opposite.
These changes have had more to do with government regulation than popular opinion.
- Regulations in the eighties made car companies increase efficiency. - As cars became more efficient, regulations waned and car companies started focusing more on improved performance (which, when people aren't broke, is a far sexier selling point than increased gas mileage). - Car companies, in an effort to market their engines with increased performance, started to advertise SUVs and trucks to regular consumers. - Gas being cheap due (in part) to lower consumption meant that people were willing to buy gas-guzzlers. - General efficiency of cars no longer keeps up with consumption levels. Demand rises, supply drops... - ...as a result, gas is no longer cheap, so there is demand for new regulations. - Gas gets cheap because no one can afford to buy it. People stop talking about regulations.
If regulations don't keep pace with consumption the cycle will continue indefinitely. Engine efficiency can't be allowed to fall behind consumption levels.
The people who want to use gasoline as a "Pigou" tax object missed their chance this summer. They could have easily passed legislation stating that whenever gasoline dropped below $2 a gallon (who'd have guessed?!) taxes would automatically increase to make up the difference.
Ostensibly, of course, to fund unicorns and rainbows.
Government would be raking in the cash right now and people wouldn't be forgetting about $4.50 a gallon gasoline so easily.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2009-01-21 11:44 pm (UTC)and I'm from Poland, we have American jokes about you guys not being able to hold your silverware correctly through an entire meal due to being completely uncivilized!
no subject
Date: 2009-01-21 11:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-22 09:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-22 03:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-22 09:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-22 12:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-22 01:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-22 09:54 am (UTC)SCREW IN THE DARK YOU RETARDED FREAKS
no subject
Date: 2009-01-22 07:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-22 09:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-22 01:11 am (UTC)*Sorry, had to.
no subject
Date: 2009-01-22 09:55 am (UTC)Polak: Hey, American what are you thinking?
American; I don't know : ( I lost the TV Remote
Polak: If it was up your ass you'd know!
no subject
Date: 2009-01-22 09:56 am (UTC)aren't there any red indians you forgot to kill?
think carefully now
no subject
Date: 2009-01-22 02:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-22 09:56 am (UTC)Hey America, why the long face?
"All our money..." STFU!!!!
no subject
Date: 2009-01-22 06:02 pm (UTC)And no one still gives even a half a shit about Poland.
no subject
Date: 2009-01-22 08:21 am (UTC)That explains everything.
no subject
Date: 2009-01-22 09:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-22 09:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-22 06:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-22 12:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-22 01:11 am (UTC)- Regulations in the eighties made car companies increase efficiency.
- As cars became more efficient, regulations waned and car companies started focusing more on improved performance (which, when people aren't broke, is a far sexier selling point than increased gas mileage).
- Car companies, in an effort to market their engines with increased performance, started to advertise SUVs and trucks to regular consumers.
- Gas being cheap due (in part) to lower consumption meant that people were willing to buy gas-guzzlers.
- General efficiency of cars no longer keeps up with consumption levels. Demand rises, supply drops...
- ...as a result, gas is no longer cheap, so there is demand for new regulations.
- Gas gets cheap because no one can afford to buy it. People stop talking about regulations.
If regulations don't keep pace with consumption the cycle will continue indefinitely. Engine efficiency can't be allowed to fall behind consumption levels.
no subject
Date: 2009-01-22 02:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-23 08:01 am (UTC)On what planet?
The Mini-van is what started the truck-as-family-vehicle trend. Blame Lee Iaccoca! :P
If regulations make cars efficient, affordable and all-around magical let's just pass some more laws and make it so!
no subject
Date: 2009-01-23 08:49 am (UTC)Agreed!
no subject
Date: 2009-01-22 03:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-23 07:58 am (UTC)Ostensibly, of course, to fund unicorns and rainbows.
Government would be raking in the cash right now and people wouldn't be forgetting about $4.50 a gallon gasoline so easily.