On February 21, 2017, automakers effectively undermined their own long-term viability by pushing for the loosening of critical fuel economy regulations. While the rest of the world is combating climate change, the U.S. is now backtracking on immense progress made towards staving off the worst effects of climate change, as well as on reductions in local air pollution, dollars saved, and making the auto industry more competitive. Instead, it has shortsightedly thrown this all out the window.
Even if more jobs were created in the short-term (the driving motivation supposedly), gas-guzzling cars that are uncompetitive have no future in the U.S. or abroad. Also, the U.S. has been here before, in 2007, when the automakers were bailed out for making inefficient vehicles that nobody wanted to buy. But the lessons of that era were not learned by anyone in power it seems, and worse, not by the automakers themselves. So when they ask for a bailout […]
That premise: that greed is good, making profit is success, and more is better. Simple and effective to people and “empty” continent. At this point, especially with robots that can do the work of a hundred men, I agree with you, and Naomi Klein… it is madness.
But for the disphilosophical, hey, what are gold stars for? Do not reflect upon what success means, just seek its symbols.