[iamweasel]

Originally Posted by BrewSwillis

I don't think that the US government simply leading the way to the next alternative fuel is going to do all that much to help the Big 3. I think the most realistic alternative fuel in the near future will be cellulosic ethanol made from something like switchgrass, with some kind of biological processing. That way, you don't put so much energy into making the ethanol, while getting little in return as you do currently with corn. Ethanol also uses the current infrastructure of gas stations to distribute. I guess the only better alternative would be to have home plug-in electric vehicles, like the Chevy Volt.

I will admit that Japanese vehicles are probably slightly better made than domestic vehicles, and that's partially why people are buying them......but it's now simply because the Japanese automakers can spend a few thousand more per vehicle while making the same or more profit, and have full backing of their government for R&D and competitive advantage.

The only solutions I see, are for the US population to just start buying more domestic vehicles....which I believe will probably not happen, due to the rise of the self-hating, "America is bad" population.....or the government has to intervene in some way. I also don't see that happening, because Japan, to a degree, owns our politicians. If they start regulating Japanese imports, they will suffer repercussions. The people of this country have to be the ones to refuse buying so many foreign vehicles. It's not like Japanese vehicle are that much cheaper, or that much more well made. It's mainly reputation and public perception. People who buy Japanese vehicles always try to justify their purchase, and think they are smarter then people who buy American. Smarter, because they believe they made a better choice to buy a better vehicle. People in most other countries prefer to buy vehicles made in their own country, by domestic automakers, even if those vehicles are considered inferior to imported vehicles. Not so in this country.

Great post - nice to see there are some people who seem to "get it" on this board because there are so many who don't.

It's interesting how the claws come out when discussing Japanese/Korean/Chinese vehicles vs the Domestics yet there isn't much hate for the Euros here. The US has fair and open trade with the Euros so may the best man win. With the Japanese/Korean/Chinese companies that is not the case and that is what pisses me off about that whole deal. Somebody with some onions in Washington needs to tell them to shove it up their collective arses!