TUNNEL-VISION TACTICS
Philosophy exemplified by "Cash for Clunkers".
(Added to this website on 9/18/09.)
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The "cash for clunkers" program is another example of our communists in the White House and Congress expecting the average American to focus on one aspect of problem so that he or she does not see the big picture. The tunnel-vision view is on better gas mileage for vehicles, and GM's new 230 mile-per-gallon hybrid is the epitome of the new generation of cars. In this program, the government re-imburses those who turn in their functioning "clunker" for a new energy-efficient car. The new car is discounted for a sizable amount and the government pays the dealer the difference caused by the discount.This sounds great for the buyer, but he still has to pay for the new car while his old one is crushed and the steel sent to China. So let us look at the big picture now that the tunnel-vision view has been explained. We can look at a typical hybrid that one can purchase now and are being purchased now.
[Note that in most of my writing I do not capitalize "communism" or "communists". This is deliberate because in my mind, those who support either are too small morally and mentally to deserve such a favor.]
1. The cost due to carbon dioxide emission and the cost in dollars for the materials and labor in the newer vehicle should have been considered. There are steel, glass, rubber, plastic, and various alloys in the newer vehicle. These must be acquired, transported, made into various parts, and assembled.
2. The difference in gas mileage between the older and the newer vehicle over a period of time must be calculated as opposed to the cost in principle and interest of the newer vehicle. The interest on funds that you could have placed in a bank account or CD should also be considered.
3. Batteries for a new hybrid, when replaced, must be paid for and recycled. This is expensive in both dollars and carbon dioxide emissions.
4. The new hybrid must be plugged in at night. If people buy them as expected, the amount of electricity needed for recharging each night the millions of cars purchased will far exceed the capacity of our power grid - so new electrical plants must be built, maintained, and fueled. Furthermore, there is a rather large loss in energy when converting from one type to another (in this case from clean coal or other fuel for the new electrical plants to the electrical power that the hybrids actually use). This means other great losses in dollars and greater carbon dioxide emissions.
5. The steel or aluminum sent to China helps China, but not the United States. Before Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan, Japan gladly accepted the steel and aluminum we sent to her. Then Japan used them as it attacked Hawaii, the Aleutians, Phillipines, Burma, China, and other countries.
6. The loss of revenue from resale of the "clunkers" to those who need vehicles at reduced prices hurts the car dealers and those who need the lower-priced vehicles. When the government fails to send the promised dollars to the dealers after the dealer has discounted the vehicles he has sold, some of the dealers begin to hurt financially to the point that they might go out of business and more jobs might be lost. This is fine for the communists in our administration because the more small businesse that are lost, the more quickly the large businesses will become virtual monopolies - which can be easily nationalized so that more socialism can be established on our road to communism. To date, the government has not re-imbursed the car dealers in the program.
7. Of course, the "cash for clunkers" program leads to more government control of our vehicles and our economy - which is what the communists want.
No doubt many Americans will succumb to the "cash for clunkers" propaganda, but this is what happens when Americans have been severely handicapped mentally from generations of increasing undereducation from UNESCO-type textbooks, communist teachers, and communist school administrators.
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