Putting the current war against the UAW in context

[Magda Hassan]

Keith, watch 'Who Killed the Electric Car?' in our You Tube channel if you haven't already seen it. Ten or 15 years ago GM made the EV1. It was an all electric car that didn't look like a golf buggy, drove really well and costs nothing (if you use solar for recharge, still cheaper than gas and less pollution if you used coal fired mains power) to run and little to maintain. They scrapped it. Shredded it actually into thousands of tiny pieces despite the lease holders wanting and offering to buy them they were never sold only leased. Corporations do what they want (make money) not what consumers want. Genetically engineered foods are the classic example of that. There is absolutely no demand for (and a strong reaction against) genetically engineered foods but that is what is being foisted on the unwitting consumer. Corporations of almost any kind are there to meet their needs not consumer needs. Meeting consumer needs are a by product and not primary. Most people would love to drive something that costs nothing or less than gas to run and has zero emissions (and still less carbon footprint than fossil fuel if charged by mains electricity) but it is not offered despite the technology existing. I absolutely agree with you that some people want a vehicle that can transport their family in comfort and safety and this can be done with alternative technology to power them. But as far as engines go we don't need cars with great hulking engines that go 250kmh (at least in Australia where the maximum speed anywhere is 100kmh) as a standard. 95% of people just don't need it. Even personal ownership of a vehicle is often un-nessecary since they sit there unused most of the time and cost a lot of money to buy and run. Extensive public transportation infrastructure and something like this http://www.warren.usyd.edu.au/bulletin/N...41art4.htm is a better solution for society and the planet. But it is the job of the Advertising Industry to make us want thing we don't need. So they drape women on the bonnet and allow you to dream that you're buying a whole lot more than just a vehicle . Again not meeting our needs but their own and other corporations. And so it goes. The human is left out of the loop again.