[JJ]

scroll about halfway down the page, a good read:

http://www.urbansurvival.com/blog/?p=1322

and some pictures of the "junk" cars they are scrapping:

http://www.route66chronicles.blogspot.com/

we are idiots.

[TreeFarmer]

Why are we destroying the engines of perfectly fine autos? We are destroying actual assets which is mind numbing beyond belief, especially during a time of scarcity.

I think Glenn Beck has the best take on this. We should in turn sell the traded in autos (at a low price) to those people who have blue smoke coming from the exhaust of their really old vehicles. That way we can get the real polluters off the roads and help out the poor at the same time.

Destroying good assets is mind numbing at best and stupid at worst.

TF

[Novus]

Detroit automakers invented Planned Obsolesce by purposely building inferior cars that would fall apart after a few years. The plan boosted profits in the short term but the idea backfired long term as literally millions of customers swore off American cars and turned to imports. Cash for Clunkers is just another play on that old idea only now it is law at Government Motors. Funny they disguise this con game as somehow being green and good for the environment when building a new car releases 8 tons of carbon into the air.

In the larger perspective we talked about this years ago on how in the face of peak oil we would squander the last of our resources by trying to save the old way of doing business. Growth is just a euphemism for turning natural resources into garbage. Cash for Clunkers is pretty much the epitome of foolish wastefulness in our society.

[oxj]

I was able to solve my blue smoke problem with GUNK: STOP SMOKIN'

Why pay more than $5.99 for a new car?

[FireJack]

Of course this whole thing will end with a bunch of people having even more debt they can't afford. The auto sector will tank after this since no one will be buying cars after a brief "auto sector is doing great" by the news. Seems a lot of people are claiming were saved lately and were going to a return to growth bla bla. I don't understand since the stuff I've been reading point to a clear crash in the very near future.

[quizz]

Toyota has #2 market share (http://online.wsj.com/mdc/public/page/2_3022-autosales.html).

This will contribute to the trade deficit. Another unintended consequence.