UtahBill

and the policies we have here in the USA are rational now?

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The Age of Reason doesn't have to be a thing of the past.
Being judgemental is the prime directive of some evangelicals.
No success can compensate for failure in the home.

UtahBill

If we encouraged the Mexican government a bit, maybe we could get a sony built in Mexico....

Scucca

Certainly not! However, economic nationalism only provides an excuse to maintain inefficient/ineffective policies.

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UtahBill

Effective to what end? If American policy is to be for the greater good of the greater part of the American population, then effective and efficient is what we should aim for. If our policies indicate that we should go international solely to further enrich the already rich, at the expense of the poor here and overseas, then we should rethink our policies. Take care of the home front first should be our policy, same for other countries.
Once that is done, then the traders can do what they want, with only minimal government intervention.
But back to the OP, I cringe when I hear a politician tell us he wants to mandate certain goals in a certain time frame. Too many of them think they have the power to force scientific progress by government decree. Then they throw tons of our tax money at it with only a miniscule chance of success, and even that comes only after a long time period, all the while ignoring policies that will work immediately, such as changes in our lifestyle that conserve fuel.

Lachean

Logical Fallacy: Tu Quoque (aka "You Too")

Just because the current status quo is irrational does not justify further irrationality.

How does the consumer preference for gas guzzlers ensure a "market failure"? What constitutes a market failure, by what standard?

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"Men had always thought of wealth as a static quantity--to be seized, begged, inherited, shared, looted or obtained as a favor. Americans were the first to understand that wealth has to be created. The words 'to make money' hold the essence of human morality. " - Ayn Rand

UtahBill

irrationality is in the eye of the beholder.....

Lachean

No, the rules of logic are what they are. And no amount of subjectivity can make valid an argument that contained logical fallacies.

Some things can be objectively irrational.

PeteEU

Its funny that the car manufactures mentioned all produce far far better fuel efficient cars outside the US.

Even my 10 year old VW Polo, gets around 42 US miles to the US gallon and that's petrol. Yes its a small car but unless you have more than 2 kids then a bigger car aint needed for the daily stuff.

Problem with the US car manufactures is they are too powerful, along with the oil companies, and can so easily manipulate the politicians to do their bidding. The US has had the same average fuel efficiency standard as in 1980, just after the second oil shock. The rest of the world has improved and improved, where as the US have not only opted for bigger cars but not improved the fuel efficiency. This lazzie-fair attitude has now come to bite the big 3 in the butt and now they are "crying" foul.

Not only does the big 3 have to change their attitude, but so does the American public and it looks like at least the latter is happening rather quickly if the news reports are correct. Sadly the US has not invested anything near as it should into efficiency or public transport, to offset this fuel shock that its going through at the moment. Instead the politicians and even people on these boards use age old debunked excuses to avoid doing the investing or changing.

And for the record, in Europe, the new proposed standards are being attacked tooth and nail by the Germans, who are the "Americans" of the European car industry, aka the ones making the "big and heavy" cars that require more fuel to operate. But I have no doubt that unless something drastic happens, that the fuel efficiency standards will be implemented, maybe not as "big" but they will be improved considerably.

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PeteEU

UtahBill

Rules of logic can be what they are, but logic and economics are not exactly the same thing.....The public's attitude, fears, apprehensions, etc. can affect the economy, but not the rules of logic...

Lachean

I'm talking about whats rational and what is not rational, which cannot be gauged by public opinion.

But you're right that such things are not bound by the rules of logic, the masses are anything but logical. (Call me a cynic...)