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Politics : Actual left/right wing discussion -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (116)	9/6/2006 2:16:10 PM
From: JeffA	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 10087

Americans are to blame for some of that. We WANT Tahoes, Hummers, Large trucks, 4 door sedans with power. We don't want little crappy foreign cars. My truck is a 4x4 Ram. Weighs, what? 5000 lbs? You ain't gonna move that with a 100 hp turbo 4 banger. Esp when I trailer a dragster. Our lifestyles would change with cars capable of 35 MPG mandatory. I know of some diesel rams with EDGE EZ computer control that can get in the mid 20s, but that's it. Ya think a Prius is gonna haul my 3500 lb trailer?

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (116)	9/6/2006 5:39:41 PM
From: TimF	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 10087

Current account balance isn't a measure of wealth of a country. The US (number 148 on your list) is far wealthier on an absolute basis than any country on the list, and is wealthier on a per capita basis then almost almost any country on the list. Its far wealthier on a per capita basis than China (number 2 on the list). Also current account balances are distorted by the fact that the value in the accounts are not adjusted for real changes in value. The US gets about as much income from its overseas assets as it pays to overseas assets. The overseas assets are on the average older, and were valued a longer time in the past at a lower level. This still represents a decline in the overall balance, but not nearly as great as suggested by the official figure. GM,F make cars for a 24 mpg requirement. No they make cars to sell them. There problems in selling cars overseas (at least compared to how well the Japanese can sell cars overseas) has relatively little to do with the CAFE standards. And have a lot more to do with the cost structure of the American car companies, the perceived relative quality of American cars, and import barriers in many other countries.