Reply #35: See? This is why we've lost our edge as a developer of new technologies. We've rationalized it too [View All]

[Aristus]

much.

Essentially, your argument is "Since it's okay that the Germans and Japanese haven't done it, it's okay for us not to have done it."

Don't forget, Germany and Japan both have extensive rail networks that can put you anywhere in the country in a short amount of time. Their light-rail and commuter rail systems are second-to-none. Both countries have worked tirelessly to move travelers out of their cars and onto the rails. Their oil demands are much lower than ours, both grossly and per capita. Many sections of their rail networks are electric. And while much of that electricity is derived from coal-fired power plants, the per-traveler carbon emissions rate is much, much lower due to the higher usage-rate of mass transit. It's hard to argue that both countries have had a lower incentive for building electric cars when their overall national car use is so much lower than ours.

What did we do in this country? The Big Three, allied with oil companies and tire companies, bought up scores of regional light-rail systems and dismantled them, paving the way for an all-car highway commuter system. And we, the people, in the form of our government, sat by and let them do it. We have a lot to atone for, and we should start by getting electric cars out on those highways the Big Three wanted so badly.