Let us quickly examine the case of the "Big 3". In the years and months leading up to this economic crisis,ask yourself if you remember, at any point, news of the automakers scaling back production simply because there was a waning demand for automobiles, or because the average licensed American already owns two automobiles.
In a World of exponentially advancing technology, why does it seem that American automobile manufacturers act as if they deserve a Nobel Prize whenever they introduce a hybrid vehicle? The answer to that question is quite simple; greenwashing. The auto makers are one of the biggest perpetrators of greenwashing, and they have been practicing it for decades.
To help personalize the auto maker's expertise at greenwashing, simply visit one of your local "Big 3" dealerships. Walk around the showroom, enjoy that "new car" smell, avoid the sales staff and then take a stroll through the "back-lot" inventory. Chances are that strolling through the inventory could take you the rest of the day due to its shear size. Consider the following example:
This image depicts an average sprawl-driven residential neighborhood. Within the confines of the highlighted area are approximately 113 residences with an approximate population of 293 people (using the Census Bureau 2000 data of 2.59 persons-per-household).
This image depicts a local "Big 3" auto dealership. The images are shown at the same scale, and as you can clearly see in the next image, they occupy approximately the same amount of acreage.
What you are asking yourself is correct. This local "Big 3" dealership occupies enough acreage to house nearly 300 people. There seems to be a serious flaw in the hierarchy of our basic principles, and this is a direct result from embracing hyper-capitalist ideals and planning our entire existence around these ideals.
So, as we as taxpayers prepare to loan our money to yet another industry driven (pun intended) solely by greed, we must ask ourselves if they are truly pursuing a logical and sustainable business strategy? Are they, and other industries, meeting the needs of the current generation while ensuring that the needs of future generations can be met?
From the simple example presented here today, the answers to these questions seem fairly obvious.
The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life. -Theodore Roosevelt
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