The great contradiction -- the great irony in a cacophony of ironies -- in economics is that our economic system values the death of the planet more highly than it does its survival. As an expression of human choice and human behavior, economics betrays us as ignorant and self-destructive. Oil and coal are among the most valuable commodities, the Chinese dirty energy economy is booming, resource depletion is not even a footnote in GDP, and on and on, down to the phenomenon of NASCAR racing.
The poster child of this contradiction is the SUV.
This large, heavy, gas-consuming vehicle has created want out of plenty by increasing demand all out of shape from what might have occurred with more modest transportation schemes. It has enriched oil countries in the Mideast, Russia, and elsewhere. It is the major cause of the tragic and shameful and disgusting intervention in Iraq, with its consequent costs in lives and fortune. And all the time it is overweight in contributing to the greenhouse gases that hang over our planet and our futures.
Why have we made such a very bad decision? One big reason is a culture of neediness we have allowed to be grown and nurtured in the name of the consumer society. In the midst of plenty, we feel a grotesque drive to have more. We need these massive vehicles. They are not socially unacceptable, they are desirable.
The culture of neediness, the consumer society -- the seed is a fundamental materialism. I use the term "fundamental" intentionally. Not only the cult of capitalism, but even enormous churches of individual prosperity have grown up. I'm talking about Christian churches, or nominally Christian, whose message is not "Let's take care of the poor," but "How you can get rich by getting right with God," or perhaps just, "You know God loves you if you get the goodies."
The true believers of the culture of neediness, however, are not following the words out of any pulpit. They are only semi-conscious. They are automatons of the science of advertising, stalking the stores like the undead.
No single revelation causes more amazement among my non-economist friends than when I tell them that standard economics does not even recognize demand manipulation. Advertising is an attribute of supply in standard theory. It is "information," somehow attached to the product or service. Any other non-comatose adult realizes that TV advertisements for beer and billboards for automobiles do not use comely models for their articulate hand signals. Nothing approaching this understanding ever touches the economists demand curve.
What to do? My policy preference is to create a robust media that is not dependent on advertising, or at a minimum to eliminate the tax-deductibility of advertising. Not do-able? What is that giant sucking sound? It's a drain, and we're in the s[oup].
The following vehicles should be registered. They are killing people just as surely as if they ran over them in the street. Of course,there are others.
Any Mercedes Benz SUV
Lincoln Navigator
Ford Expedition
Nissan Pathfinder
Toyota Sequoia
Cadillac Escalade
Cadillac Denali
Audi Q7
Infiniti QX56
Land Rover
Nissan Armada
VW Toureg
Mercury Mountaineer
Porshce Cayenne
GMC Envoy
Ford Explorer
Toyota 4Runner
Hummer
Toyota Land Cruiser
Jeep Commander
Chrysler Aspen
Dodge Durango
Chevrolet Yukon
Chevrolet Tahoe
Chevrolet Suburban
Chevrolet Avalanche
Chevrolet Trailblazer
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Jeep Commander
Nissan Frontier
Chrysler Pacifica
Cadilac SRX