🚀 go-pugleaf

>John F. Haugh II writes
>> If you really want to bad mouth American cars, I suggest you go drive
>> through the public housing areas in town.  What you will find, almost
>> universally, is old American cars.  Why?  Because those big old cars
>> that don't last or run right are sitting down there, running well and
>> lasting forever.  

No, no, no.
They buy cheap junk U.S. cars because it is all they can afford.  
They keep them running with duct tape and coat hangers and still the
maintenance costs are higher than with a Japanese car of the same
mileage.

A used Japanese car costs much more than a used American car, (as well
it should, since it has more life left,) so they can only afford the
junky American one.

They can afford to buy a $300 U.S. car and pay $100/month maintenance,
(or careen down the road with minimal brakes etc..)

They can not afford to buy a $1500 Japanese car and pay $20/month for
maintenance, even though it is ultimately cheaper.  They don't have
$1500.  And noone will lend it to them.

Your argument ignores the cost and value of capital, which the poor
don't have.  It also assumes the poor are brilliant investors, while
the rich are not, which is clearly illogical (as a general rule).
-- 

curt@aixwiz.austin.ibm.com (Curt L. Finch) | AIX NFS/NIS Field Quality 
My views are unrelated to those of IBM     |        Austin, TX
"We have no rules around here. We're trying accomplish something."-Thomas Edison