Arthur, I have been driving along an English motorway at 80 mph to be passed by a Jag going at 100 mph. (They have since lowered the speed limits.)
Yet, I noticed that at the time the proportional deaths in the UK were half those in the US. I don't think poorly designed cars here were the problem, perhaps poorly designed drivers. However, American car companies made more money from replacement parts than they did from selling the car. You can guess how cars left the factory. The market improved cars. The first Toyota I owned I bought because it offered a 3 years bumper-to-bumper warranty, I figured they couldn't provide that if the car was faulty or they would bankrupt themselves. I had it for 8 years and not even a bulb needed to be replaced. I bought my second Toyota with some trepidation, for it was now the product of an American factory. I kept it for 8 years and it did need a bulb replaced. Then, I gave it to the kids and it's still working well after about 15 years but it is showing signs of age. (Or, perhaps showing signs of the kids.) My present Toyota I've had for 7 years and it will probably be my last car. No problems, though I don't put the miles on it now.. Toyota and other imports had to compete against an entrenched Detroit comfortably ensconced in government privileges (tariffs, special deals, and suchlike). At first they did it on price, but later, and up to recently, are best sellers even though they now cost more than equivalent vehicles. When I lived in Canada, American cars cost a lot more than Americans were paying. They were given "Canadian" names but they were the same cars. Perhaps with NAFTA you now pay the same. I don't know. So, I walk through the kitchen past the stove, refrigerator, and microwave - all working well. Can't remember when I bought them. It was many years ago. I have a top loading washer that is ancient but works fine. However, the government ideologically opposes top loaders because front loaders are supposed to be better environmentally, even though they are more likely to give trouble. Most of the top loaders were given 'Excellent' grades by Consumer Reports. Then, suddenly, they were all marked down and top loaders became "excellent' - a triumph of ideology over common sense. So, don't knock design. In an unrestricted market situation, the best products will succeed - note the intense competition in hand-held computers that used to be telephones. Meantime, every day, umpteen millions of people commute on often poorly maintained government highways. People who could be unwell, people who didn't sleep last night, people who had taken a pick-me-up to start the day, people whose driving abilities might be less than adequate, people who didn't maintain their cars. My golly, it's a wonder accidents are so few. Poorly designed cars, Arthur? Maybe - but they don't have to be and it is likely they are pretty good. Harry ****************************** Henry George School of Los Angeles Box 655 Tujunga CA 91042 (818) 352-4141 ****************************** -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Arthur Cordell Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 6:22 AM To: 'RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, EDUCATION'; [email protected] Subject: Re: [Futurework] Question: If we brought actions against designers that have caused harm in the past then the list would be very, very long. Start with tobacco. Continue with poorly designed cars, or with cars as a mode of transport. Every day someone is injured or dies from a car crash. The news tends to slough it off since it is so common. But if there is an accident on any part of the mass transport system (bus, train, plane) enormous resources are poured in to find the cause. Why not find out why cars crash: poor repairs, poor design, bad driving. No, it seems that cars and their enormous costs and waste are seen to be "the way it is" Choose almost any area, pharmaceuticals for example, where there were errors and where some were covered up. arthur -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Michael Gurstein Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 8:30 AM To: 'RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, EDUCATION'; [email protected] Subject: Re: [Futurework] Question: This might work for the folks in Japan, but what about for GE the designers/builders of the reactors? M -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Arthur Cordell Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 8:56 AM To: 'RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION,EDUCATION'; [email protected] Subject: Re: [Futurework] Question: this was how it was done in times past http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seppuku http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_hari_kari -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Michael Gurstein Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 12:14 AM To: 'RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, EDUCATION'; [email protected] Subject: [Futurework] Question: Should officials who, out of greed and stupidity locate a nuclear plant with inadequate safety measures on a well-known earthquake fault line be tried for crimes against humanity? M _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [email protected] https://lists.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [email protected] https://lists.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [email protected] https://lists.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [email protected] https://lists.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [email protected] https://lists.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
