Tejek, RE: "Pull the plug on Israel ...Israel is a small nation..... Whose interests do you think Bush has at heart...not America's that's for sure! I am thoroughly disgusted!"
Actually, Bush is involved in the middle east purely for America's self-interest, not for Israel. I'm not saying you're doing this, but I see people blaming Israel and making incorrect assumptions that Israel controls our Congress. When in fact, it is the USA that is acting in its own interest for oil. Our lives depend upon oil, and Bush is protecting the fuel that feeds our living. This is not Israel's fault. Our American consumption-based lifestyle is at fault here. Israel is not at fault for our own actions.
But Bush's approach is wrong.
Bush could get us let dependent upon gasoline, by imposing a gas tax.
A gas tax would finally align customer goals with society's goals.
A gas tax will motivate customers to spend money on gasoline saving devices, which would match the need to become less dependent upon oil.
GM, Chrysler, Ford, Toyota, Honda, cannot build a wide range of products aligned to society's goals unless customer goals are aligned to society's goal, which is why a gas tax is needed to align these two goals.
The CEO of GM recently said something rather elegant, but to paraphase his comments: by taxing gas, the govt would align our customer's goals with society's goals towards less gas consumption. GM can't stop making SUVS, unless their customers desire cost-efficient products more than gas guzzlers.
Both GM and Ford (and probably Chrysler too) seemingly are jumping up and down, waving their hands, and inviting Bush to tax gas so their customer's goals are aligned with society's goals - so they can create products that reduce gas consumption. Without a gas tax, the motivation for a large number of consumers to purchase a non-gas guzzlers is weak. The auto manufacturers' hands are tied to deliver more of what American customers want, at odds with society's goals.
Why Bush looks a gift horse in the mouth, is beyond me.
Instead of taking that token gift, we're fighting in the middle east, rather than dealing with our own domestic issue of an oil dependence problem.
Regards,
Amy J |
