;-)

The blame can squarely be put on the folks who want to "legislate economy" in the face of real life needs and technology.

Higher gas prices will shift the sales around, but most big families with more than 3 or more post-toddler children will STILL be buying those SUVs.

Just as you heap disdain on SUV's so did your enviro-predecessors already heap disdain on the "American Gas Guzzler" back through the entire 70s. I was there. I remember it well. It was fun to read consumer guide from this period, articles and reviews written by single, growing older, hippies who never met a car that was larger than a Volkswagen that they liked. If I had a dollar for every time they used the phrase that "no one needs this much car" in a review I'd have an extra million. Yes, those big cars were needed and used just as the SUVs are needed and used today.

Blame those hippies for the CAFE standards and the chain reaction of bogus legislation and attempted manipulation of the free market which began the chain reaction of events that have brought pump prices to where they are today.

America's major problems began with the drugged out, effete Greenwich village hippies who were trying to destroy all that which made them more insecure. The family with the car and home in suburbia, corporations, apple pie and Norman Rockwell were an anathema to these folks.

For the city liberals these things reminded them of all they were missing out on and so they wanted to destroy it. For the rarer suburban liberals they were usually lashing out at their parents and wanted to join the city liberals who must be smart because they shared disdain for their square parents.

Some cleaned up their act by the eighties and became responsible, seeing the error of their ways. The rest...well the rest are still with us, adult liberals who never grew up and who never will. These folks still teach in the universities by the thousand and have tenure. They indoctrinate as many young as they can against their family and country and have devoted their lonely lives to propaganda - ever repeating the same liberal mantras to comfort themselves.

Unfortunately, they posses not the accuity to realize their self created position and that liberal elitism is almost always accompanied by a life filled with insecurity, selfishness, anger and loneliness.

And on that last cheery note, I wish you a happy day as well!

;-)