I'm all-American when it comes to my cars. Actually, I'm a Chrysler/MOPAR devotee. I own a Nissan pickup also, but that's only because my wife's father basically gave it to us. If I had my say, I would've bought a Dodge.
All that said, I haven't bought a new car in quite a few years as my old ones still run fine, and for another reason I'll touch on below.
I'm a firm believer that the American auto industry should not be allowed to go under, on the other hand, I'm not sure a "bailout" is warranted. It seems like a lose-lose situation, damned if you do, damned if you don't. I'm really disappointed with the direction the American automakers have gone in the last 10+ years, focusing on building bigger, less economical mini-semis instead of refining the sedan and compact car classes and working to make more energy-efficient autos. The American public is largely to blame also, however. If go out and stand by the street and watch 10 vehicles drive by, probably 7 out of 10 will be some type of SUV. That's f*cking ludicrous. There is not a single person in the USA that needs a Ford Excursion, Chevy Suburban, or a Hummer. You can't even argue that point. You can try, but your arguments will be 100% meaningless because you will be 100% wrong. You cannot demonstrate to me a physical need for one of these vehicles, you simply can't. Yet the American public in general keeps buying up this shit, and usually, it's single individuals. Out of those 7 SUVs that pass when you're out by the road, count how many people are inside each one. I guarantee 6 out of the 7 will have only ONE PERSON in them. You just cannot argue on this point.
Point being, you cannot lay the blame entirely on the automakers-- some of the blame is due, most definitely, to the sheeple that herd to the dealerships in droves and lap the shit up like a baby yearning for his mother's tit. On the other hand, you can lay a lot of blame on the automakers for force-feeding this cowdung down the American public's throats for the past decade or so just to make a fast nickel. It's funny because when I first saw this trend beginning years ago, I knew it would eventually spell disaster. I ranted and ranted about it to my friends, most of whom probably thought I was a lunatic and looked at me funny as they drove to their nearest Ford dealer wearing shit-eating grins to pick up the latest and greatest in the Exploder line.
What we should really have in front of Congress right now is a proposal for a universal ass-whopping on all the dipshits who bought these vehicles over the past 10 years, complete with a mandatory swirlie. This time, I'll be wearing the shit-eating grin.
HUMOROUS ANECDOTE: I was driving home from work on Friday, and I heard the newest Cadillac commercial come on my local radio station. It was an advertisement for the Cadillac Escalade HYBRID, comparing the mileage to what you would get if you bought a VW Beetle. Yes, they are comparing an Escalade to a Beetle. I was like, are you f*cking SHITTING me? They just don't get it, do they? GM will likely be filing for Chapter 7 in a few weeks here, and they think that creating a HYBRID of a colossally inefficient vehicle is the answer? This is their "solution?" This whole thing is going right over their heads.
