Even though Toyota and Honda’s sales are skyrocketing as their higher mpg cars become more attractive in the age of $3 per gallon gasoline, the American car makers just can’t get the hint.

 

Any corporation worth their salt will say that their main responsibility is to give the consumer what they want. Any free marketer will tell you that capitalism itself pretty much relies on that. If people want to wear acid-washed jeans, a clothing manufacturer had better start buying up some acid. And yet, as people have made it abundantly clear around the globe that they want more efficient cars, American car makers still are banking on large SUVs and pickups that should come with their own oil derrick in the bed.

 

And boy, is that working.

 

 

Now, I’m no conspiracy theorist. But when a company refuses to cater to their consumer’s needs to the point that they begin destroying themselves, one can’t help but wonder who exactly they’re catering to.

 

It’s been rumored for a long time that there is some kind of cabal between Detroit and big oil. I have no proof of this. But they certainly aren’t catering to their clientele, so we aren’t getting anything out of it. They’re losing money, so they’re not getting anything out of it. Hmm... So, who could it be, pray tell, that is getting something out of it...?  

 

I’m not going to make an assumption.

 

But it does make me curious how much smaller is the company going to get before they finally pull that big, oily dick out of their ass.