Sunday, May 25, 2008

ADVERTISING-DRIVEN OVER CONSUMPTION

It's been happening all over the country, but this week I heard on local radio an advert from Willie Racine's, a Jeep dealership in South Burlington.

"Let's refuel America," screams the ad. If you purchase or lease a Jeep, you'll get a guarantee of $2.99 per gallon for the next 3 years. (There are restrictions - the limit for the vehicle is 36,000 miles for the three years, but that's not mentioned in the swindle.)

I'm not promoting this scheme; I think it's an abomination. Such a deal! NOT. It's more like "Let's rip off gullible consuming Americans," but Americans are gullible and selfish and spoiled, right? - so they'll fall for it, not realising that by buying a gas-guzzlin' Jeep, they're continuing the pollutin', cosumin' culture and environmental degradation. And you betcha, these new purchases will sport an Obama bumper sticker in November!

2 comments:

  1. I think the solution is to focus on expanding public transportation, especially rail systems. When they are built, they are flooded with Americans happily using them, despite the naysaying by rightists and publicists for Big Oil, auto companies, etc.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, libhom, for the comment. Indeed you are correct. Alternative modes of transport are needed. Here in Burlington, there's a citizen group working on this locally. More bike lanes, better connections for mass transit. There's been talk of starting up again the passenger rail road on the western part of Vermont.

    It's a culture change that's needed, or course. When I was in the Netherlands in April, my cousin picked me up at the train station; she needed to fill up. 43 litres (approx 10 gallons) cost € 73, which is about $115! But...but she (and the rest of my family) use their vehicles sparingly and either walk, take the tram/bus/traink, or bicycle to work or to shop. But that's not saying that there are not many cars in NL, there are indeed and the traffic jams around A'dam/Den Haag/Utrecht can be some of the longest in Europe. That that country is small and can offer better train and bus service, too. Cheers.

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