Well, now we know… how much Uncle’s persecution of VW is costing us – on top of the billions it has already cost Volkswagen.
Are you ready, Freddie?
About seven miles per gallon.
That’s how much the mileage of a 2015 Jetta TDI droops after it gets “fixed” – a term also used by farmers and used in the same manner here as well.
The VWs in question – like young male calves – were not broken. “Fixing” is a euphemism for taking something away . . . .
In the case of the VWs, what’s being taken away – by those who brought their cars in for “fixing”- is their formerly exceptional fuel efficiency.
And now we know exactly how much of that has been lost.
Originally, a 2015 Jetta TDI carried a window sticker that read 30 city and 44 highway. Behold the new window sticker, affixed to literally legions of “fixed” and still brand-new 2015 and 2016 Jettas which never got sold :
29 city, 37 highway.
These Jettas (and Passats and other TDI-powered VWs) have been sitting idle since the “scandal” broke back in 2015 and are now being re-certified for sale. Part of that process includes updating the window stickers, on which is displayed the EPA’s city/highway mileage estimates.
Like the poor steer, post-“fixing,” these TDI VWs have lost something.
And it’s not a little something, either.
Individual owners of cars that escaped being corralled – and who brought their cars in for the same “fix” – no doubt noticed their cars no longer went as far on a gallon as they once did.
But it was all anecdotal.
Now, it’s official – in Uncle’s own hand, so to speak.
And it makes these cars a lot less appealing, since their “fixed” mileage is hardly much better than the mileage delivered by many gas-powered cars and a lot less than most current hybrid cars.
Which I’ve come to believe is exactly the point of all this.
It’s not the “cheating.”
That’s just the hysterical, deliberately exaggerated window dressing.
Before the “fix” – before the “cheating” scandal erupted like a triple Vesuvius, spraying lava not just all over VW but also over diesels in general – diesels had been making a comeback.
And that was a problem.
VW – and not just VW – had been successfully marketing diesel-powered passenger cars for the first time since the ’70s. The ’70s diesel rep for being slow – and smelly – had been dissipated by the new-generation of quiet, smooth – and not slow – turbo-diesels, which were also extremely fuel efficient and clean-burning.
Have you ever seen black, sooty smoke coming out of the tailpipe of a late-model diesel,VW or otherwise?
Doubtful.
Because – even “unfixed” – modern diesel emissions are as close to nil as those of modern gas-engined cars.
Don’t take my word for it.
Look at the EPA’s “bins” and “tiers” – which is their almost-impenetrable way of categorizing allowable emissions levels. The difference between what was acceptable (and considered “clean”) circa 2000 and what is acceptable today is almost . . . vaporous, is the right word.
It’s a pedantic incremental/fractional always upticking – but one of very diminishing returns.
The “unfixed” – the “cheating” – cars emitted fractionally more oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions under certain government testing conditions, which VW adjusted its software (engine programming) to compensate for.
That’s all.
A small effect on emissions – but one that resulted (once “fixed”) in a huge effect on the mileage of these vehicles – which explains why VW “cheated.” For VW to take such an enormous risk – affronting Uncle – there had to be tremendous gains, in terms of what they could deliver customers.
And there were.
I’ve used the example of using a radar detector to avoid speed traps as an analogy. Certainly, VW “cheated” – in the same way that a radar detector helps a driver “cheat” a speed trap.
But back to the point of all this – the reason for the hysterical, exaggerated abuse leveled at VW out of all proportion to any tangible harm caused by their “cheating” – and the brutal effect of the “fix” applied to the “cheating” cars.
They were just too god-damned good for their own good. The latest escalation of “bins” and “tiers” was meant to make it impossible for diesels to be both compliant and fuel-efficient and affordable.
VW – to its credit – attempted to get around this vicious, evil business.
I test drove every TDI-powered car VW made, pre-“fix” – including the TDI-powered Jetta. It exceeded the EPA’s city/highway numbers, as people who own these cars will also tell you. I got better than 50 MPG on the highway out of them.
And you could buy one for about $22,000.
Well, you used to be able to.
VW doesn’t sell TDI-powered anything anymore – except for dealers unloading the backed-up inventory of “fixed” 2015 and 2016 cars, which have been “fixed” just as a steer is “fixed.”
There’s not much reason to buy one anymore – because these cars no longer deliver the huge mileage advantage vs. gas-powered cars that they used to deliver.
And that, dear reader, is the point of all of this.
To geld the resurgence of clean, efficient diesel-powered passenger cars – especially the affordable ones which VW uniquely specialized in.
These cars made hybrid and electric cars look bad.
Made them look stupid.
Excepting the virtue-signalers, who would choose to spend a couple thousand bucks more to buy a gas-electric hybrid that only had a slight mileage advantage? And who would spend $30,000-plus on an electric car with literally a third the range – that also required its owner to wait for hours while its battery recovered charge – when he could have been hours down the road in his diesel-powered alternative?
Now, perhaps, you see.
And if you do, it all begins to make sense.
. . .
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I suspect that the fractionally higher nox emissions were more than offset by the fuel saved by the “cheating” cars. Now we get higher fuel consumption…which they’re allegedly against… and possibly higher total emissions. But at least they’re not “cheating”…
Hi Freak,
I have no doubt. It could be calculated if one had access grams per mile data and so on. In any case, I am now certain the reason for the particularly vicious treatment meted out to VW was because they attempted to affront the authority of Uncle and did so in an obvious manner. Other manufacturers have done worse – in terms of actual harm caused – and been treated far kindlier – because it was just a “mistake.” For example, the GM ignition switch thing; or the Takata airbag thing. No frog-marching to prison; no having to publicly run ads mea culping, etc.
Also, there is the threat posed by VW’s diesels specifically to the EV agenda. VW was the only car company selling a whole line of affordable diesel powered cars that made more economic and practical sense than EVs. That had to be squashed.
Can the vasectomy be reversed?
I would expect that you could get a tune to recapture the lost performance. But that could cost upwards of $700, and if your state has emissions tests for inspection, it is possible that it wouldn’t pass.
Strange how Uncle crows about achieving “maximum fuel efficiency,” while the broken arm of Uncle says, “We can’t allow them to be TOO efficient; after all, it cuts into our gas tax revenues.”
I hate to guess what they REALLY want; my mind doesn’t think in such evil terms.
You know the worst thing about all this war against diesel – it will actually lead to worsening the environment in so many ways on a global scale. Heres how – at present, in the western world people left diesels at one point as they were dirty. Now, thanks mostly to the market demand that people wont accept cars that give off black smoke, diesels as you say are very clean in the west. And, thanks to the way engine design and manufacture works – they end up clean even in far away places which the average western tree hugger will never go. I see this right now as im in Mumbai, and im surprised there are so many diesel cars, but no soot out of the back as was once the case…..Once diesels are banned in the west, this development will stop…. while on the other side, once diesel is no longer used in the west, there will be a surplus of it on the market – what will happen to that, it will be flogged cheap to countries which are outside the complete control of governments – where as it will cost less more and more will buy. And much like the current mess with coal where in the west we are forced to shut our extremely clean coal plants, coal is so cheap that every day new non clean coal plants are being made in places like china or India, the net impact to the planet will actually be negative!!!
Exactly, Nasir. Just think of many trillions of tons LESS fuel would have been burned here had we been using diesels since the 70’s, like in Europe! Regardless of how clean or unclean…just think of so much less fuel being burnt; mined; refined; transported
That’s another think I just don’t get, perhaps Eric can advise. After the fix the car gets worse fuel economy. Which means more fuel is going in. Which means more burnt gas of whatever form is coming out. How on earth is that BETTER for the environment ?!?! But I guess ours is not to reason why….
Hi Nasir,
The key is to understand “the environment” – and “fuel economy” and “safety” and all the rest of it – are just window dressing; the Outer Party (so to speak) may even believe it. But the Inner Party knows exactly what the true purpose of all this is. These are the pretexts and excuses used to increase and solidify their control over us.
When viewed from this perspective, what seems stupid and counterproductive suddenly makes all kinds of sense.
The elites play Americans like a fiddle.
Americans said Clinton sucked because she likes endless war, debt, and tyranny, but Trump does, too.
Americans say they must have a Constitution-hating Supreme Court judge or the libtards will win.
Americans say that they love freedom, but scream guns must be banned because black people might buy them.
If Nazis promise to cut off your right leg and Commies promise to cut off your left leg, what do you gain if you pick the winning side?
Think.
Americans have become incapable of thinking.
Every four years they rush to the polls to elect the next tyrant to steal their money and freedom- taking no notice that regardless of who they elect, nothing changes for the better. The welfare-warfare state continues without missing a beat.
Dr. Paul Craig Roberts describes Americans as the most dumbed down, ignorant and disinformed people on the planet.
Roberts has a PHD in economics and was Asst. Secretary of Treas. under the Reagan administration.
He has a great website and you can subscribe to it.
All you have to do is talk to the “average” American and you’ll know why. Raised in public schools and fed government propaganda.
The CMMM/Controlled Mass Mainstream media is nothing more than a stenographer for the Pentagram, CIA and White House.
Paul Craig Roberts is just another moron Statist. He is no friend of liberty and he absolutely HATES libertarians. That you endorse him tells me you are either antoher collectivist like Roberts or you don’t really know where he stands. Either does not speak well of you.
Total rubbish. I have read more of Roberts essays on the government and none of them are in agreement with what you stated. He has many times voiced very strong opinions of the way our rights are being destroyed by those in Washington as well as many anti-war essays, not to mention many essays regarding government spending America’s debt and the coming economic collapse.
He is not a statist.
I suggest you try reading some of his essays instead of repeating some talking points from who knows where, that are very inaccurate.
Bill & John,
I think Paul Craig Roberts is more of an old-school Republican/conservative, like of the Ronald Reagan variety (Didn’t he used to work for Reagan?)
He’s not really a Libertarian/anarchist/voluntaryist- but he’s not as much of a statist as most these days. I think he advocates the basic rights of the Constitution- but he is no Libertarian.
I think such is the case with many writers whose articles are being proffered on supposed Libertarian websites- like Lewrockwell.com
I truly don’t know if guys like Rockwell have an agenda to destroy real Libertarianism, such as the Libertarian has done- or they’re just spamming their sites with filler that will appeal to more mainstream people, to get web traffic and revenue.
Another member from this comment section turned me on to how Tom Woods (to cite just one example) is hawking materials on how to make money through all of the old and tired web marketing tricks, like Ad Sense, and Amazon affiliate links, and spam emails. Seems like many of these writers are into that- both trying to make a buck with those decrepit things, and trying to sell the how-to to others [Misery loves company!], and even many of them who even seem to be professed Libertarians, really aren’t- but are just honing in on a target audience as their niche, and writing things that appeal to us, to get the clicks.
I think that is why we see so much crap on sites like LRC these days- and why there are more articles about DC politics; Trump; and internation relations, lately than about real libertarianism.
Seems almost all of the alt. news and Libertarian sites have gone that way- except of course for Eric/this site- thank goodness! Eric has proven that he will stand on principle, regardless of the cost- Guys like him are very rare these days.
P.C. Roberts doesn’t seem like a bad guy- but Bill in IL is correct- he’s not really a Libertarian; I don’t even think he claims to be. Trouble is, the standards are of Libertarianism are so low on most Libertarian sites these days, they pick up articles by PCR and others, who don’t even claim to be on the same page with us.
I lost any respect I may’ve had for Tom Woods though, after being made aware of his cheesy internet marketing BS!
That should read: “…such as the Libertarian PARTY has done….”
Of course you do know that Libertarians are free market people.
Lew Rockwell helped create the Mises Institute and Tom Woods went to school there. So has anyone else created such an institution? Tom Woods is a graduate of Mises and yes, some of those sales pitches are a bit cheesy but after all you don’t have to get involved.
However the shows and interviews Tome Woods produces are very informative. I listened to an interview with a professor at a Canadian university who described the current situation regarding the Kavanaugh hearings and women really have more power than they think which has caused a lot of grief for men.
So else goes to all that trouble besides Eric, Tom and Lew? There’s Dr. Ron Paul. So now I’ll await the flaming of Ron Paul.
Geesh, it seems that some people are awaiting the new messiah.
Our fixed 1015 Sportwagen regularly gets over 50 mpg at 78 mph. The EPA is still lying. Most people will look at the sticker and that’s all.
At that rate and a 160,000 mile warranty, it will be awhile until it is refixed. But it will be.
Eric, is the fedgov forcing VW owners to bring their cars in to be broken? If they refuse, is the gov planning on punishing them in some way?
Hi Dr. Jim!
No – thank the Motor Gods… not yet, anyhow. Uncle has been pushing VW – hard – to pressure owners to bring their cars in for the “fixing,” but they are under no obligation to do so. A reader asked about this earlier today. I explained that no state requires these cars to be “fixed” and that they will pass any state-required exhaust emissions test and there is no issue getting them registered, or getting the registration renewed.
So far, so good…
As Eric once noted, by making the VW get less mileage, it will burn more fuel for the same trip and thus emit more of whatever it is the government doesn’t want emitted. Given we now know the mileage hit, we should be able to compute the actual emission difference, and determine if the “fix” actually helps reduce overall emissions, and by how much, or maybe actually now emits more.
Did I miss this somewhere in the article?
The emissions limits for CO, NOx, VOC, etc are in g/mile. However there is CAFE for fuel economy and their global warming CO2 scam. To make the emissions requirements that hurts the scores for fuel economy and CO2. The safety requirements hurt CO2 & CAFE scores and likely all the emissions ones as well.
Basically the government creates requirements that are in conflict with each other and keeps pushing them to further and further extremes that make the area where they can all be met smaller and smaller. At some point it will be impossible to produce a compliant automobile. And if the indirect emissions are counted against electrics that means them too.
The upside to ALL of this is that not all states have smog tests or safety inspections and these cars can be reprogrammed by a “smart” person … afterall they are re-programmable devices …
one thing that is overlooked is going after VW and Toyota is used to prop up GM which is a govt entity. maybe GM will have a cabinet position soon. GM could not compete fairly with VW and Toyota so they got the govt to bludgeon them down set them back
Ah, well, whenever the gooberment gets involved in attempting to solve a non problem you can bet the farm, the apparatchiks will actually make things worse…but that’s whaht they’re paid to do…so they can go back and solve the first problem they created, which means they need more funding for the next year so they can hire more people to solve the problems they created the previous year.
And that’s how the bureaucratic nightmare grows, like a festering boil on America’s back side.
For a good case in point, the recent goobernment debacle that Uncle has decided to get involved in is with the issue of drones or more rightly Quad Copters, being flown by highly ignorant and irresponsible people with room temperature IQs. Since this was a problem with airspace, the unusual suspect bureaucracy this time is the FAA. They along with another highly suspect lobbying group called the Commercial Drone Alliance held a special meeting in Washington recently and began discussing ways in which those of us in the R/C hobby, that is those of us who build and fly model airplanes, many of them built with a great amount of scale detail, can be suppressed into ever smaller areas or even outlawed altogether.
The AMA, ( Academy of Model Aeronautics) was supposedly present but not allowed to speak at this conference. as a result, Congress, for those who continue to believe in such, passed a revised version of the FAA authorization bill which affected section 336 concerning model aircraft. As a result of that and if the Senate passes it and the orange ape in the White House signs it into law, will restrict all model R/C planes to 400′ maximum. That also includes many aspect of R/C gliders, many of whom are capable of soaring into spec altitudes(F5J, F5B F3J). Those who fly pattern and other forms of aerobatics are also highly affected. In addition, hobbyists must now take a test and also obtain a registration in order to fly model planes. There is also talk of requiring tracking devices being installed on model planes…at the expense of the hobbyist of course.
The insanity that pervades Washington continues to grow like a malignant, metastasizing cancer for which there is no cure but massive surgery to remove it, which may kill the patient.
It’s only going to get worse.
Just how much more will the American people allow an out of control government to continue to sap away our freedom and liberty before they decide they’ve had enough?
Are they even awake?
“Just how much more will the American people allow”
Any and all of it. Nobody (except RC) enthusiast really care. They just pick off one thing at a time so any resistance is limited to those burdened with what ever edict foisted upon them. The rest don’t care about what does not harm them directly.
They will go apeshit if you limit their freedom but that guy over there being abused, does not matter as they don’t do ‘that’, so no loss to them. Principals don’t even enter the equation.
TPBT have this down to an art now. They know how to exploit the fact that the masses are entirely self absorbed.
D’oh. Principle…..
….And by the time a few of ’em might “get it”, they’re too old to care or do anything; and are slated for replacement by their younger counterparts, who are clueless, because they’ve never experienced anything close to lving without constant government interference in every aspect of their lives since infancy, and have been so thoroughly propagandized by never-ending “education” and the constant tether of “connected” devices, that any concept of self-determination and real world cause and effect is utterly inconceivable and scary to them.
I ignored all this the first time the FAA tried to regulate drones and I’ll do it again. I feel like everyone ignoring them was what sank the previous effort. Your style of flying is specialized and puts you more at risk. But the other 90% who fly mini drones in our yards, drones that cost $100 and do 100mph, you know what we’re gonna do? We’re gonna ignore the regs. And when the cops come let’s see them try and catch my drone that’s going 100 mph 100 feet in the air before I ditch it somewhere they’ll never find it. No drone, no crime. Prove I was flying a drone. Prove it wasn’t registered. Prove I was flying it illegally. No drone no crime. This is how we all take one for the team. Nobody is afraid of losing one drone over it. And we keep registration and compliance so low that the FAA gets embarrassed by their own regs and gives up. Same as last time. That’s how a community stands up to unjust authority. Too bad VWs contemporaries allowed them to be sold up the river to everyone’s collective detriment. I wouldn’t do you like that.
“Just how much more will the American people allow an out of control government to continue to sap away our freedom and liberty before they decide they’ve had enough?
Are they even awake?”
Why would they even care? They have their little “magic glowing rectangles” to keep them busy.
And fuuuuuuuuuuhhhhttttttttball. Don’ forget the gaaaaaaaaaame!
Now, Eric,
I used to not understand football- but now I think I do.
You see, the object of the game is to get a bunch of grown men to sit in front of a box which displays animated images, for three hours; while eating junk food and swilling cheap disgusting beer, while dressed in such a way so as to emulate their favorite characters whom they see portrayed on the animated box- who they admire, not for any greatness of moral character nor intelligence [for most of the characters are near illiterate, anyway] but for their ability to play a child’s game and throw a ball; and for their ability to earn large sums of money doing so; and for appearing to be more masculine than those who watch them- a thing which those watching wish they could achieve in their own lives, but can’t- so they instead worship those whom they perceive as being ‘real men’, who can.
See? Now I understand the game! Funny though- I still don’t feel any compulsion to waste three hours of my time actually watching said sport; in fact, I am quite sure that doing so would make me vomit.
You nailed it.
Sadly it begins in the government’s indoctrination and brainwashing centers called public schools.
High school athletes are give special status. Especially the star athletes. They receive passing grades just for showing up in class.
By the time they get to college on that athletic scholarship, they don’t even have to attend class, which is usually a puff course anyway, to achieve a passing grade.
From there it’s onto the big leagues with huge payouts, expensive cars and jewelry. Even hero worship. Although said athlete also has to compete with all the other heroes like armed government workers and those wearing special uniforms, operating drones in foreign countries and blowing up hospitals, funerals, wedding and play grounds.
Well-said, John!
No coincidence too, that the more civilian “war games” proliferate, the more real wars are fought for the empire…..
Or how the average football viewer, when not watching football, also seems to enjoy shows which portray the badged goons as invincible, as they abuse the rights of hapless citizens- for that is yet another thing the armchair quarterback aspires to become- a badged bully- and something that may actually be within their grasp, since the state prefers those with low IQs to carry out their orders without conscience or thought.
“Or how the average football viewer, when not watching football, also seems to enjoy shows which portray….”
I noticed this back in the mid to late 1980s. Active, healthy people I had grown up with suddenly turned into 6 Pepsi/day, ignorant, compliant, couch spuds. Sure that ‘they’, whoever the TV talking head said, were an imminent threat to their couch and cola.
It’s like everyone got dipped in stupid sauce at almost the exact same time. Conversation became nothing but them reciting what someone else (TV) said. Asking them to explain or clarify their position brought on the face a dog makes when trying to understand algebra.
Even in Canada, USA!, USA!,USA!, mentality set in.
As someone who had studied history, this worried me. But what has happened since is way beyond my worst predictions back then.
Cold!
Dammit, man… you almost just killed my laptop with that one (“Asking them to explain or clarify their position brought on the face a dog makes when trying to understand algebra.”)
I just about spat coffee all over my keyboard and peed myself at the same time… thank you, sir! 🙂
Never read with a mouth full.
Sorry and you are welcome. 🙂
Cold, I’d almost forgotten the country-wide terror……or devil worshippers, until recently when the neocons tried to run it again. It didn’t gain much traction this time.
I recall friends who mostly were caught in stupid rumor mills and made worse by the ones who’d fallen in love with the du jour white powder.
It was also back then I knew people who saw “monkeys” who spied on them. Did you see that monkey? No, I guess I missed it. Well, it was at the back screen door. Ok then, I’m leaving out the front and good luck with that. I knew two people…..who didn’t know each other, and both put a bullet hole through the back screen trying to kill that damn monkey. Seems like I got a brief glimpse of said monkey a couple times….sorta clinging to their back and next to invisible.
I got a new view on the War on Drugs when a friend half my age wrecked his truck and went to a job fair where he met the Border Patrol crowd. Being a great big old boy they latched onto him and fill him with their own shit. The amazing thing was when he told me, via them, that people get high these days and kill children.
I know a lot of people with children and have known many who had children and smoke pot and occasionally some other drug but I never knew of any children to disappear. I’m sure there are children who do disappear and mostly to psychopathic pedophiles I’d bet. I’m not well-versed on this subject since it seems like worrying about the sky falling.
But the Border Patrol actually used this bs to try to recruit this guy. I said ‘Well, I always wondered why my friends who smoked pot seemed to have their kids disappear. He never mentioned it again and didn’t mention going to work for the Border Patrol.
I’d bet I could convince a lot of people of nearly any stupid thing except that Trump is just the same thing as Hitlery wearing different clothes. You need to be able to duck quickly with some of them.
Heh, yeah, 8, it’s always about the kids!
Virtually EVERY time I’ve tried to have a conversation with a statist about the immorality and absurdity of the War On [some] Drugs [And note: I’ve never done a drug in my life; I’ve always avoided all forms of intoxicants- really can’t stand the idea of ’em], literally EVERY single one of them has said “Oh, you don’t care that drug dealers are GIVING drugs to little kids??!!”.
How does one even reason with a person who starts with such an absurd premise?
So, they think that drug dealers GIVE drugs to little children (or anyone?)? LOL.
Never mind the fact that if the only thing keeping their kids from using drugs is lack availability; and if their little kids somehow have enough money, and lack of supervision to be able to shoot up; and are so deficcient in character so as to use them, that their kids ARE going to be on drugs, or huff paint; or be hopeless drunks…..
But hey, if they can just arrest all of the drug dealers…yeah…that’ll do it! Guess we’ll have to go back to alcohol prohibition too- after all, what is keeping their kids from becoming alcoholics?
I guess all of those 6 year-old junkies I’d [NOT] see when 45 years ago when the War On Drugs started, are still hopelessly addicted, because they still haven’t managed to arrest all of those drug dealers. In fact, there are more now than ever…but all hail the failed War On Drugs in the name of keeping the kids of derelict parents safe!
Frog, that reminds me of back when I still used to date [shudder]- I’d meet some girl who I thought might possibly have some potential….and come to find out almost immediately, that she liked being around those dog-faced guys- They [the women] would go to Stuporbowl parties, and “be one of the guys”….
I’m only grateful that I’d find that out sooner than later, so I could cross them right off the list.
And have you noticed that most people’s interest in politics has become the same way?
It’s like a sporting event: They cheer for their candidates, but when engaged about even the most basic political philosophies or facts, they assume that “dog” look, and can’t give any answer- much less a reasonable one. They can’t engage in meaningful debate; they either just go quiet; or say they don’t want to talk about it; or throw out some disparaging facts about their candidate’s opponent (Assuming that if you are criticizing “A”, you must therefore support “B”).
This is why even if government disappeared in an instant somehow, we would still not be any closer to liberty, because we now live in a nation of moronic automatons, whose only purpose in life seems to be that of seeking out perpetual masters to serve and obey amd idolize- and they always pick the very worst ones, while those who advocate setting them free are looked upon as though they are the horrible monsters.
Hi John,
I do not think it’s accidental that the feminization of the country parallels with the general male veneration of fuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhttttttttttttttttball. It is emasculating to watch other men do things while you don’t do anything but shove food down your gullet and bloat like a hippo in front of the TeeVee. It also keeps your mind focused on irrelevances, while encouraging this as a “manly” preoccupation.
I’m old enough to clearly remember when the today-typical male obsession with sports was regarded by most men as the sure sign of a meatheaded buffoon and likely closet homosexual. Grown men (with IQs over 100) who obsessed about other men in tight lycra shorts patting each other on the ass and throwing balls and such are infantile men by definition. Paying anything more than occasional attention to a game is something for teenaged boys, not men.
Interestingly, most of the sports-obsessed seem to be as unathletic as their steroid-jacked heroes are athletic. I once posted a pic of a guy snuffing a jockstrap. I think that pretty much covers it…
Eric, did that guy really snuff the jock strap, or was it already dead? 😉
Personally, I have nothing against “ffffuuuuhhhhtttbbbaaalll” or any other sports. Yes, I’ll admit it, I like to watch sports sometimes. Hell, I even have a favorite team!
BUT…once the game’s over, that’s it! I don’t think about it until the next game. In fact, I rarely even think about it period! A lot of my coworkers, on the other hand, are so GD obsessed with their favorite teams that they recite each players’ stats, have stickers posted on their lockers, and they even wear the corresponding shirts and/or jerseys. What’s scarier, though, is that some people even fight over different teams.
Needless to say, sports (especially here in the good ol’ “YOOESSUVAYY!!!”) have officially become political events as opposed to a form of entertainment that one could genuinely enjoy every once in a while.
Not only have they become political events, they have become military events with color guards, wheeling out disabled vets who foolishly enlisted and were sent off to Iraq, Afghanistan to fight wars for israel, followed by a fly over of an F-22, during the national anthem all of it meant to encourage more young people to enlist and defend Murca.
So now tRump signed a bloated military spending bill, which promises to only fatten the wallets of the MIC fat cats and continue to attempt to fix the F-35 that has already cost American taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars, is useless against other planes and to make matters worse, that stealth technology has already been defeated.
How much money has been lost by the Pentagram? 2 trillion? 3 trillion ?5 trillion?
America is insane.
The coming collapse will affect everyone.
Hope y’all are prepared.
***”Not only have they become political events, they have become military events with color guards, wheeling out disabled vets who foolishly enlisted and were sent off to Iraq, Afghanistan to fight wars for israel, followed by a fly over of an F-22, during the national anthem all of it meant to encourage more young people to enlist and defend Murca.”***
Amen, John!
And the irony is: The idiots viewing such, and getting whipped up into a patriotic frenzy, are the first ones to abhor, condemn, and advocate war against places like North Korea…..completely ignorant of the fact that the very same propaganda tactics such countries use on their subjects are being used on them!
Nun, and they’re the ones who say “Their govt. only lets them know what they want them to know”……duh!!!!
You ever do a search for something the big G(Govt., Google, the same thing)doesn’t want you to find? It’s the reason I’ve used DDG for the last 10 years.
This excellent article is getting closer to the motives for screwing VW, but it ain’t there yet. Mileage and pollution are just stand ins, or sock puppets for the financial people who run this country, now.
Remember Baron Von Rothchild saying that “He cared not who ran a country as long as he could control the money…” ?
Remember the moral admonition that “Behind every great fortune there was a very great crime…” ?
The banker-money-government Kabballah now owns and controls something around 90% of the wealth in the US. They have blead out our financial blood through usury. The only thing that keeps them hidden is the existence of FIAT money, which they issue.
This is a fabulous Ponzi Scheme that must be continued. Debt creation is the only life blood that keeps this crime afloat. ANY increase in efficiency or value delivered that reverses the rip off of our wealth, by debt necessity, must be destroyed. Hence all the stupid, irrational decisions that have affected our culture in modern times: global warming, wars, cultural wars including divorce, and a multitude of other issues that we jump on, but do not see the desired result for the Money Mongers.
They run the show !
In their efforts to keep their Ponzi Scheme going, they have wrung the last nickel out of NASCAR, the NFL, TV, newspapers and not last, but VW and all the other US bound car makers.
I remember, but did not understand, when NIXON said “We have to get the Beetles off the roads…”
Try buying a Mahindra Roxor for the street in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Debt creation is the object of all of our woes.
1988 Citroën 2CV6
2005 Passat TDI
Funny that you used to only hot rod a car to make it go faster.
Now you have to hot rod your car to get more milage.
You would think that having a more effecient car than basically all others would buy you some kudos from the government.
Pretty apparent by this situation that all the government cares about is its own power to tell is what to do.
Hi Kris,
I eventually came to the conclusion that the real reason for all of this has to be the threat VW’s diesels represented to the electric are agenda. It’s the only reason that makes any sense.
Did you know VW was working on a TDI-powered commuter car capable of averaging 80-100 MPG?
VW already has the Lupo diesel.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Lupo
Of course North America can’t have it.
this was extreme miser driving, but,
“These options however, increased fuel consumption slightly. In 2001, a Japanese economy driver, Dr Miyano, used it to set a new world record for the most frugal circumnavigation of Britain in a standard diesel production car, with an average fuel economy figure of 119.48 mpg or 2.36 l/100 km. ”
Even Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear fame, had one for a week and averaged 78mpg (4.5L) in real world mixed driving. He is known for being a lead foot too.
There is no doubt that efficient vehicles are being kept out of North America intentionally by TPTB.
Those nasty, evil Germans again! They wanted to burn the planet up!
Somebody had to stop them by gum.
Ain’t we got wunerful gooberment?
Eric, my lad, I believe you’ve nailed it. Anyone who doesn’t believe the apparatchiks in Washington are highly influenced by certain lobbys are simply asleep.
The hysteria promulgated by these apparatchiks and screamed repeatedly by the CMM( Controlled Mass Mainstream Media) made it seem like Germany was on its way to destroy humanity. Was it revenge for losing two wars? I’m surprised it wasn’t also labeled anti-Semitism.
However the CMM has done its job well as stenographers for Washington, which includes the CIA, Pentagram, Sect. of State, White House and every other gooberment agency that needs to brainwash the American people into another war, or other state of hysteria over a non issue.
Thanks for doing the job that those in the CMM fail to do every day.
America has the worst newspapers on the planet, the worst media reporting any where; Russia Today, even with its faults is far better than anything in America.
I’m surprised they didn’t make a Hitler reference.
“The man who made those decisions to violate us is a descendant of Adolf Hitler!” Screams the talking head on CNN.
Even though we eventually came under the gun for the “55” speed limit, it was very common for people to add dual exhausts and flip their air cleaner lid upside down for better mileage. I did it to many vehicles with no other modification. It was amazing how adding another exhaust pipe to a V 8 could make the transmission shift much more smoothly and quieten the whole car not to mention increase gas mileage. It even cooled down the engine and the transmission which helped the a/c be more efficient.
Although I owned only one vehicle with a cataclysmic converter, I never had to remove one since we had only pre-smog cars and pickups that didn’t require smog control. I ran the 84 Nissan pickup so hard the honeycomb bs in the converter came apart and begin to bang around at which point I removed it, removed the rear flange and dumped all the pieces into the trash. It ran better and got better mileage afterward and there was never any exhaust to be smelled from it……after the converter was gutted.
If I had a diesel pickup right now you could count on it having an EGR/DEF delecte kit on it.
Thanks Eric for this article on the VW purge. If governments were really interested in protecting the public they would not fine companies for these type of “wrongs” but merely mandate they correct the “wrong”
and allow the company to keep the capital they are forced to pay in penalties and lawyers/experts to defend themselves and use that capital to fix the “wrong”. But government is a criminal enterprise engaged in helping itself and its sponsors. Your article is instructive since it applies beyond the car industry. Beware when the government says it is looking out for your best interest. Assume everything the government says is a lie. Assume every government department is the opposite of its name eg the Department of Justice is in fact the Department of Injustice, the Department of Defense is the Department of Aggression and Foreign Intervention, etc.
Thanks, Jacob!
I am working on another article… about Lyft’s “Ditch Your Car” program…
i wonder if the “fixed ” cars pollute more because they burn more fuel per mile.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they did. After all, the goal isn’t exactly about controlling pollution, but rather, controlling the populace (i.e. us).
I think it literally has to.
You put out fractionally less noX in a given situation after the fix, but you basically increase all other emissions by 20% because it is a linear function with fuel combustion.
It would be interesting to flip this arguent on its ear and accuse the government for forcing VW to emit 20% more CO2 than was necessary.
Thats why ithink it is purely a power play.
Government writes the rules and if you kill their constituents their fine so long as its an accident. (Cause government kills its own citizens all the time)
But lying to the government is a capital offense!
No offense Eric, but your articles make me feel depressed. The more I read them, the more I realize that I’ve been born 20+ years too late. *sigh*
Hi Bluegrey,
None taken. I feel the same way. I’m a Gen X’er, so just old enough to have been a kid when America was still a pretty decent place in terms of everyday freedom. The little things we’ve lost, such as kids going off on their own for the whole afternoon, by themselves, to explore the neighborhood and woods and do as they pleased until it got dark and was time to go home for supper… being able to drive without worrying about an SA Stormtrooper Hut! Hut! Hutting! you because you weren’t wearing a seatbelt. You could make a joke without losing your job – and make a pass without being accused of rape. Board an airplane without anyone except maybe your GF feeling your dick.
Things like that. We still had to pay taxes, of course – and the government was there. But much more in the background. You could go days without even thinking about it.
I miss it, a lot.
We now live in the age of government overreach, but hacking (all forms) are more prevelant than ever.
I think the first causes the second.
So dont get depressed or be suprised that the government sucks, be happy that you live in an age where you can go on the internet and can bypass or undo most all of the nonsense that governments requires of you.
In this case, if you live in an area that doesnt test for emissions…. buy a dpf delete kit for your TDI and do an aftermarket tune to get your milage back.
I would hope that the government monitors our willingness to submit to their nonsense and if we are actively nullifying and hacking our way around all of the rediculous things they try to force us to do then they will stop trying to give rediculous orders and instead try to win us over.
Government trying exert authority doesnt depress me, this is nothing new…. peoples willingness to follow silly government orders depresses me, so dont do it!
Hi Kris,
All good points!
One problem, though, is that the “up front costs” have become prohibitive for most people. For example, while it is possible to hack modern, computer-controlled cars, the cost of buying the cars is now at a point that it either requires signing up for years of debt or being very affluent. And then there are things which can’t be hacked – mandatory insurance, for example.
All of this is combining to push people out of their cars; I have a rant about Lyft on deck…
Ug yes i can’t believe what a full size truck costs nowa days and they havent really gotten any better.
Its going to be like cuba around here in 20 years where its a bunch of 20 and 30 yo cars that have been rebuilt time and time again.
I guess thats if they dont come take your combustion cars by gun point.
I guess theyll have to take my diesel from my cold dead hands, haha
Hi Kris, I don’t think things in the USSA will be like Cuba for very long at all. The cars don’t get rusted out down there, and the really old cars have frames. You folks living outside of the rust belt take heed: The price of your used cars are going to go way up as you compete buying them with northerners purchasing those rust free cars to take up north into the rust belt, where they will likewise rust out in a few more years.
Even in Cuba, it ain’t like we think it is in Cuba.
The old American cars are pretty much just used as taxis- and they cost a LOT. Typical private car there- for the few who can afford them, are old Polskis (Polish Fiats) and newer Russian Ladas….
Only good thing is: No “safety” or emissions BS there. You can actually do what you want with your car- no one forcing you at gunpoint to wear a seatbelt; and you see those old American cars converted to diesel with 4″ exhausts.
Funny- a communist country- but even there, one has more personal freedom in their day to day life than here…..
Funny- a communist country- but even there, one has more personal freedom in their day to day life than here…..
I guess the lesson here is never move to any country or territory that claims to be “free”. lol
Nice thoughts, Kris- but in reality, when government realizes (or even anticipates) people are not complying/finding work-arounds/finding loopholes, they merely seal up the loopholes.
So don’t be surprised when [not if] you see a nation-wide “safety” and emissions inspection program rolled out…..
Plus, usually alterations like DEF delete and ECM reprogramming void vehicle warranties. AND now that virtually all stealerships keep electronic service histories on your vehicle, if you ever go to a dealer for service of any kind, with a modified vehicle, it will be noted in the vehicle’s info, and accessible by VIN#.
You can not win in a high-tech police state. There is now a whole matrix of surveillance and intimate control in place- and what few loopholes one might be able to ferret out, will not remain viable for long- which is why I believe our only hope for enjoying any degree of freedom in our lifetimes, is to get the hell out of here.
We need some savage libertarians out there to invent a ghost car like a ghost gun where you just bolt the engine in and you bypass all the nonsense.
Lets convert old classic cars to super efficient versions of themselves that live forever!
Hi Kris,
Another regular here – El Guapo – made the excellent suggestion that we drive Pre-Uncle cars as daily transpo, to get them out in view and show people they can do the same. It is a capital idea. My Trans Am always draws admirers – and I always point out to people the Pontiac-specific (no airbag) Formula wheel and lack of almost any government-mandated anything vs. a modern car.
History has shown that as government become more oppressive the closer to actual collapse the nation approaches until the collapse actually occurs. The inclusion of expanded military spending, wars, foreign bases and secret ops, with secret courts, secret laws and secret trials all indicate a downward spiral.
Is it any wonder then that the Chicago police department was caught maintaining a secret black site within the city to interrogate prisoners for as much as two weeks or more violating the fourth and Fifth Amendments.
This begs the question….how many other secret black sites are being used by other police departments?
What we see happening all around us are signs of a nation in a downward spiral. A nation of moral and political failure, run by corrupt politicians and bureaucrats, and heading into the biggest economic collapse in history.
The only way to protect yourselves and your family is to prepare for what’s coming.
Just don’t allow yourselves to get trapped inside an urban zone controlled by martial law.
John, the only way to truly prepare for it, is to get out of this country (and the first world in general). There’s not a place you can go in this country- not even in the middle of the desert, where you can escape the tyranny of and interference by various levels of government and their armed thugs.
Be somewhere out in the middle of nowhere all by yourself [My kind of joy!] and you just become more obvious/more suspect to the helicopters that fly by.
And when you need to use their roads, you’re still subject to all of the BS, and have a greater chance of being ensnared than even people in a heavily populated area, because there is likely only one road with few cars, and occifer Porky just sits there all day (since there’s no real crime to deal with) and you’re one in 20 cars, instead of one in 6000.
There’s nowhere left to go here. They’ve got it all sewn up.
Thanks Eric for the response. I know it may sound like I’m looking at the past through “rose-tinted glasses”, but even as a millennial, I can still remember a time when people were generally happier than they are now. Of course not everything was perfect back then, either, but at least people had more choices when it came to their personal lives. Not to mention that we didn’t have to fear the police because they existed to serve and protect us. Now they only serve and protect “the law”, hence why they’re now called “law enforcement officers”.
Hi Bluegrey,
I really like this:
“Not to mention that we didn’t have to fear the police because they existed to serve and protect us. Now they only serve and protect “the law”, hence why they’re now called “law enforcement officers.”
Well-said.
What happened was The Chimp. It was The Chimp who transformed what had largely still been civilian cops into Hut! Hut! Hutting! (and heroic) law enforcers. The Chimp – to terrorize the populace – turned them into the body-armored American SA we are all familiar with today.
I despise The Chimp for this and many other reasons. He is the Nixon of our time.
The police have never been here “to protect and serve us.” Individual officers may have taken on that roll for the people they didn’t dislike, but the police forces were created to keep us mundanes in place. The police’s roll was to protect and serve the State and the plutocratic oligarchy. This is yet another example of the State using our money against us, or of the national and local oligarchy capitalizing profits and socializing losses/certain expenses. If the State really had any interest in protecting us; they was have set up a security force, or encouraged us to hire free market security forces to protect us and our properties. Arbitration courts could have settled disputes, and the victims would actually receive restitution for their loss as opposed to the State collecting that money for itself! Indeed, in early American history, communities did have night watchmen. Unfortunately, many of them would get drunk on the job, and the local business owners and merchants wanted to reduce the rights of the mundanes by creating and enforcing news laws. They also wanted to force the mundanes to pay for this service. Notice how the various police forces except for the sheriff lack public elections?
I really despise the chimp too, but Bill Clinton was actually the one who really escalated the militarization of the police. Remember his “100,000 new police officers on the streets” promise? During that time, many police officers received M-16 automatic rifles. I called in to the local radio show in opposition of this, stating the rifles cyclic firing rate of 700-900 rounds per minute. In real life, no rifle could fire that many rounds in one minute due to the ammunition magazines becoming empty and the barrels would get ruined by overheating, but my point was that cops did not need that kind of fire power! I also reminded the audience that we already have a National Guard which has automatic rifles should a huge emergency arise. You should have heard the tone of the voices of a couple of cops who called in afterward in response to my call; yet they refuted nothing.
The Depart of Offense’s Defense Logistics Agency created a Law Enforcement Support Office, and the former 1208 program became the 1033 program.
But then again, it was Ronald Reagan who declared a war on some drugs. https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2015/jun/3/genesis-increasing-incidents-police-brutality-war-drugs/
Spot-on, Brian!
Like everything, gradualism has been used to slowly get the pigs to the point where they now are. Nothing is done overnight, as a fast change would be obvious to all, and might be resisted by enough people to matter; so instead, they roll out the changes ever so gradually- so only the very astute notice at first…and meanwhile, the new paradigm becomes the norm as those who call the astute “tin-foil hatters” become used to it over the course of a decade or two.
So it really depends on where one lived, as to when they started to notice the new paradigm.
Living in NYC at the time, I indeed started to notice during Reagan’s 2nd term- the mid to late 80’s. (They always start in CA., NY. and MA.!)- Slick Willy ramped it up even more. It likely didn’t get to where Eric was until Obozo’s time. Eightsouthman started seeing it during Bush’s misadministration.
Funny- no matter who was “in”- D or R, they just kept building upon the evils of their predecessors. But of course, the general public takes no notice of that…they think there is a difference- LOL.
Now we have The Dullard…errr…Donald- who admonished the pigs “not to be so NICE”!!!
The process was completed under the Chimp but started long before. The SWAT stuff started in the late 60s or 70s. It was well under then.
As Brian pointed out modern police were never about protecting the people. Even the courts in the 20th century ruled the police have -no- obligation or duty to protect people or their property. So what is their obligation? To the government.
The cops who served did exist, might even be a few out there still. The hut hut hut buzzcut stuff was barely there and cops had to keep up appearances to the public. Anyhow I don’t see how a good cop could survive very many years these days. There’s been a huge change for the worse but modern policing was never meant for our benefit. I also wouldn’t even call idealized fictional versions like Andy Taylor or Lt. Columbo examples of modern police. (and by modern I am using starting mid 19th century per what Brian mentioned)
I have a “fixed” 2015 Golf Sportwagen TDI. The EPA sticker (Emission Modifications Performed) claims 31 mpg city and 42 mpg highway. My real-life experience is this: city mileage is more-or-less consistent with the sticker claim, but highway mileage is better, with the “real” (calculated from miles driven and gallons consumed) mileage consistently being around 48 mpg (at 75-80 mph) and the trip computer claimed mileage being 51-52 mpg. I have no experience with the “unfixed” version of this car so I can’t say how the fixing affected the mileage, but it’s pretty damned good as it is. Good enough to make me grin as I pass countless gas stations.
Hi Steve,
I’ve driven probably a dozen un-“fixed” TDI VWs; my experience with the Jetta TDI was that it could (it did) deliver 52 or better on the highway. I wrote about this, back then – before the “scandal” broke. In 25 years of test driving new cars, I have never before – or since – test driven a new car that delivered better than advertised mileage… except for VW’s TDIs.
Nothing new here. Changes in cam timing, carb tuning, ignition timing in the 70’s were intended to lower NOx and unburned HC, but the effect was more stuff burned, less power, and more net pollution.
We (collectively) have been replacing cams, retiming, tuning carbs and later ECM’s for efficiency which yields more power and MPG, at teh expense of a bigger percentage of pollution in a smaller volume of exhaust.
But the eloi still believe in uncle gov and global warming. And evil buisnessmen and libertarians as “tards”…
Depending on what the “Fix” was as DavidC is, you can figure out ways to circumvent it and if necessary, keep the original part as backup for the inevitable emissions tests
Who knows, maybe my dream of a Mk6 Golf TDI w/a Golf R AWD install might happen someday 😀
Is it correct that this “fixed” cars have the latest anti-emission tech: diesel exhaust fluid, particulate filter, etc? If so, is the fix just reprogramming the engine control computer?
My late, lamented 2015 Passat TDI had all that tech. Over 36K miles, I never had to add DEF between 10K mile service intervals. I considered getting a license plate reading “MORENOX” but figured most people wouldn’t get it. Plus, I worked in the MD suburbs of DC – I was afraid some wacko environmentalist might take offense and damage my car.
The car passed the VA roadside sniffer test for registration renewal. Not that VA cared that much, since if you took it in for the emissions test, they just checked for OBDC fault codes on diesels – no tailpipe test.
Yes. I have a late model TDI Passat. It came with a DEF tank so the only “fix” was tweaking the SW. I have not noticed that much of a decline in MPG. Truth to tell, I’ve not bothered to look much, but I was looking after I got it fixed earlier this year.
Hi Damon – thanks for the info. To be clear, I never had my car fixed. I found the trip-computer reported MPG to be anywhere from 0-10% higher than actual but generally on the higher end of that range. I calculated manually for almost all tankfuls. Filling up after a few consecutive longer trips, I left the station with a claimed range of 915 miles. Too optimistic but you’d never see that on a Tesla or other EV.
But but but their cheating emissions has caused verifiable deaths in the US the same as global warming.
-Some retard on Linkedin probably
Yes, I have seen comments as dumb as this whenever Linkedin brings up VW or Audi.
I’d be more concerned about a runaway ‘yota or Ignition switched GM than a TDI.
Anyone who actually believes in Global Warming past school is a complete idiot, period
youtube “south park now even if global warming…” I think you’ll find it quite amusing. Cheers
There are currently only two types of people who still believe in catastrophic man made global warming; intelligent people who have not done proper research, and stupid people who do not know what proper research is.
Intelligent people who do not do proper research (or can not read between the lines; recognize subterfuge; spot covert agendas…) are really not very intelligent at all.
Too many highly edumacated people fall into that category- they merely believe whatever they are taught, as long as it is from a credentialed source.
Follow the money!
Prolly be a good idear to watch for his tongue poked firmly into his left cheek on that one…..
You can actually see real posts on linked in? All I’ve ever seen is spam and pornoflix… bahh. gusdusting.
The only verifiable death caused by VW’s “cheating” has been the death of VW.