Ahem...back to the original subject...

Post #28,114 by Simon_Jester 2/12/02 10:38:22 AM Reply	Ahem...back to the original subject... >> do these people >owe< someone else? I see...they "exploited" consumers... Let's see if I can >start< a list of the damage done to the populas so that auto execs could earn their billions: a) dirty air b) dirty playgrounds from the lead used in the fuel to power automobiles c) 41,000+ dead per year from the products use d) dirty water e) Pintos, need I say more? Most of this argument is faulty and misleading, imo. The CEO didn't force people to use cars and have cooperated with governmental regulations to produce cleaner cars, etc. (CEO's aren't evil by nature.) However, it seems inconceivable that someone would actually attempt to argue that CEO's have achieved everything on their own, without any governmental (public) assistance. Frankly, the current example is perfect; cars would not nearly be so successful without the advent of the public highway system (in particular - interstates).
Post #28,172 by mmoffitt 2/12/02 9:10:02 PM Reply	On Force, study California in the 1940's. After the war, Standard Oil of California essentially bought all of the City Councils in California. The mission: Get the city council to pave over all the trolleys so the people would >have< to purchase automobiles, which of course, required Standard of California's gasoline. It worked fabulously well. And don't let's get started on all the oil money and influence in Washington, which habitually either ignores or underfunds cleaner, publicly funded mass transit. You think that's a coincidence?
Post #28,184 by Another Scott 2/12/02 10:52:01 PM Reply	Cecil doesn't think so. And Cecil Adams knows everything, you know. Even more than CRC. :-) [link\|http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_335.html\|Did General Motors destroy the LA mass transit system?] HTH! :-) Cheers, Scott.
Post #28,189 by bepatient 2/12/02 11:11:03 PM Reply	Thanks It would've taken me forever to find that. You were born...and so you're free...so Happy Birthday! _{Laurie Anderson} [link\|mailto:bepatient@aol.com\|BePatient]
Post #28,191 by Another Scott 2/12/02 11:15:47 PM Reply	Google on The Straight Dope Cecil's very good at squashing urban legends. [link\|http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=straight+dope+GM+california\|Here's] the search I used. First link. :-) Cheers, Scott.
Post #28,252 by mmoffitt 2/13/02 1:25:15 PM Reply	Heh. >> Now, you may or may not believe GM's professions of innocence concerning the >> holding company. Heh. Thank you. I don't.
Post #28,210 by Simon_Jester 2/13/02 8:46:38 AM Reply	Evil Grin - before you start praising mass transit... may I point out that all mass transit (and railroads and airports and ... ) have also relied upon the public, usually in the form of initial (and cheap) land grants and right-of-ways. (And don't get me started on the deals of Standard Oil...) The point: again, these guys don't do it by themselves. (I'm amazed that people are even trying to argue the point.) I believe that was your initial argument.
Post #28,253 by mmoffitt 2/13/02 1:27:10 PM Reply	RightO! Thanks for reiterating the original point!

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