Nissan has just announced The End for its Titan half-ton pick-up truck, which is the only new half-ton you can still buy that comes standard with a V8 engine (and doesn’t even offer a V6, let alone a four).
And that, of course, is why it’s The End for this truck.
Reports of its demise focus on sales as the cause of mortality – and while it’s true the Titan never sold in numbers anywhere near those posted by the class leaders, Ford’s F-150, the Chevy Silverado and the Ram 1500 – it is also true the Titan’s V8 has become a liability.
For Nissan.
The reason being the math. As in – Corporate Average Fuel Economy math. The latter being the math that every vehicle manufacturer must do because the government requires it – and applies a financial “incentive,” in the form of punitive taxes that are levied for “non-compliance.” A vehicle manufacturer can build V8-powered trucks like the Titan if it likes. There is no law against it. But if they do build it – and if it pulls down the CAFE “fleet average” below the number the government requires be met – cue the “incentives.” These make it cost-prohibitive to sell such vehicles – unless the manufacturer sells enough other vehicles (i.e., the ones that more-than-meet the CAFE mandatory “fleet average”) to compensate for the ones that don’t “comply.”
Nissan might have been able to continue selling the Titan – if it could sell enough Ariyas and Leafs. Which – being electric – could plump up Nissan’s CAFE “fleet average” to compensate for the drag-down effect of the Titan, which averages 18 MPG.
But those aren’t selling well, either.
The current CAFE “standard” is about 35 MPG – and (courtesy of the Biden Thing) it will rise by 8 percent next year and then 10 percent for 2026, headed for 58 miles-per-gallon, on average, within less than eight years from now.
There is no way the Titan could rise to that standard without shutting off – without getting rid of – its V8 engine.
Of course, the same problem threatens to impart a Sicilian mouth kiss upon the Ford F-150, the Chevy Silverado and the Ram 1500, too. But not as immediately – because all of the latter come standard with much smaller V6 engine (and even a four cylinder, in the case of the Chevy) that aren’t as devastating to their respective manufacturers’ CAFE “fleet averages.” Also, GM, Ford and Stellantis (the parent company of Ram) make so much money on these trucks- which they sell in huge numbers – that it offsets the costs of government. GM, Ford and Stellantis can probably afford to eat the cost of government “incentives” without raising the price to buyers of their hot-selling trucks beyond what most people are willing (and able) to pay.
Nissan, on the other hand, can’t.
Last year, only 15,063 Titans were bought. This is comparable to the number of electric F-150s (the Lightning) that were bought last year – and that isn’t even 4 percent of the total number of F-150s (the non-electric ones) Ford sold last year.
Nissan had targeted annual sales of 100,000 to make building the Titan a viable proposition but the best year over the past 20 since it made its debut back in ’03 was 87,000 sold. It wasn’t enough to keep things going, especially in view of the . . . “incentives.”
The effect of these can be seen in the way Nissan (and it’s not just Nissan) has changed its advertising vis-a-vis 20 years ago. In 2003, Nissan touted vehicles like the Titan. Boasted about the power and the audacity of the thing. The company certainly didn’t apologize for the existence of the thing. If anything, the Titan was a repudiation of everything Nissan (and it’s not just Nissan) currently touts, such as the Ariya – which isn’t even a thing in that its name is a nonsensical confection-conjunction of some kind, similar to the made-up names given by the pharmaceutical cartels to their latest drugs – i.e., ask your doctor about Burenjia (I just made that up).
What the heck is an “Ariya”? Maybe it is an Aryan with spelling/grammar problems? Does it ariya on time?
Whatever it is, it isn’t a Titan – a straightforward, unapologetic thing as out-of-place in these times as a shotgun rack affixed to the rear glass of a high school kid’s pickup – parked at school.
Nissan is getting out of big trucks because what else could it have done? It could have embraced the electric tar baby, of course. But perhaps Nissan was wise enough to see how that would go. Ford is seeing just that. Chevy will, too.
But in the end, so will we – in that it won’t be possible, soon, for any of the remaining players to continue building trucks that can be sold at a price enough people will be willing and able to pay. The “incentives” will see to that. And if those aren’t enough, new ones will be found.
The result, inevitably, will be two kinds of trucks. One very expensive. The other electric – and expensive.
These will make the Titan seem like a deal.
Because, of course, it was.
. . .
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Interesting and ironic, I remember Eric commenting on how the Nissan Titan could have a standard V8 in light of the CAFE, because their lineup of other ICE cars were so fuel efficient, and the Titan sold in such low numbers as to now blow the CAFE numbers. So if the move is to EV’s, then that CAFE number should only get easier to meet, should the EV’s sell. But they aren’t. I reckon Nissan is not selling small ICE cars (e.g. Sentras) to keep its CAFE numbers up? I would suppose that CAFE is only one reason for discontinuing the Titan.
I was looking at one real hard, but decided against it on engine problems. I took one I was considering into my local mechanic, who used to work at an Infinity dealer, and he said. “Oh, the ones we put short blocks in all the time?” That was enough for me… Ended up with a 2.7L ecoboost which has been fine. Reckon the 5.0 coyote would have been a more robust choice.
Nissan manufactures 4,000,000 vehicles in a year’s time. Nissan is no slouch when it comes to building a car someone will buy. The Pathfinder has been a good vehicle, no complaints other than some minor damages that can be easily fixed. The 4.0 V6 is a good engine. Nissan has/had problems with the V8’s.
7201.T on the Tokyo Exchange, the price per share is 624 Yen. On the New York Stock Exchange, NSANY, Nissan, is 8.64 USD per share, has a 14 cent dividend. Earnings are 85 cents per share with a PE of 10.
One dollar buys 144.9 yen, if you convert dollars to yen, then purchase shares of Nissan on the Tokyo Exchange, 624/144.9=4.30, $4.30 for a share of Nissan.
8.64×144.9=1251.9 yen for a share of Nissan on the American exchanges. Have to pay twice as much if you buy in America.
2013 the share price was more than 16 USD and topped out at 21 USD. A ceo got into trouble, Nissan fell from grace.
Kind of was in receivership for a while, the numbers look much better now compared to three years ago.
Plenty of new Nissans on the streets and roads out there.
Well… there goes everyone’s chance to own a very decent new full-size Titan PRO-4X off-roader. Guess that leaves just the Toyota Tundra unless you go with the U.S. domestics… and we all know they are just caving to the gov’t EeeeVeee overlords.
It starts at $40k while an F150 starts at $35k. Maybe people just don’t want a V8 enough to pay the premium price. If they did, you’d think people would be snatching them up now while they still can, but you say sales are languishing. Bigger isn’t better just because it’s bigger. I’ve always favored smaller myself … with the possible exception of boobs … and even the biggest boobs don’t appeal to me.
But needful to say here, I don’t want the Federal government banning them even if I don’t need or want one myself, but regulatory requirements seem to be following the market here rather than leading it … which is another argument against the regulatory requirements.
Eric argues that the Titan’s production is ceasing because of government regulations:
“The current CAFE “standard” is about 35 MPG – and (courtesy of the Biden Thing) it will rise by 8 percent next year and then 10 percent for 2026, headed for 58 miles-per-gallon, on average, within less than eight years from now. There is no way the Titan could rise to that standard without shutting off – without getting rid of – its V8 engine.”
How does one infer from this assertion that regulatory requirements are “following the market?” The additional cost of a V8 is the direct result of CAFE fines, which were recently DOUBLED.
https://www.motor1.com/news/576385/us-doubles-fines-automakers-not-meeting-fuel-economy-standards/
Martin writes:
“…regulatory requirements seem to be following the market here rather than leading it.”
Can I have some of whatever it is you’re smoking?
You said yourself that the vehicle wasn’t selling. Have you forgotten already? Maybe your weed is better than mine.
Martin: The law of demand provides that demand for a product will decline as its price rises. Nissan has been burdened by fines resulting from its “non-compliant” V8, which brings down Nissan’s Corporate Average Fuel Economy. Thus, it was necessary for Nissan to price the Titan higher than it otherwise could have. Had it been priced lower (i.e. without pricing in these fines), there necessarily would have been more demand. The “market” that you refer to is one that is distorted by CAFE.
Martin,
You’re not a dummy, so ‘cmon. The whole point of the article was to point out the effect of government “incentives” on the market – or rather, what’s left of it. Were it not for these regs, Chevy would never have put a four cylinder engine in the Silverado (a half-ton truck) and Toyota would never have gotten rid of the standard V8 that used to power the Tundra and Ford would never have built the Lightning, nor made a twin-turbo 3.5 V6 the top engine in the non-electric F-150.
None of the above was driven by the “market.”
Nissan – a much smaller presence in the U.S. than any of the brands such mentioned – is more affected by the “incentives.” Take these away and Nissan could have offered a V8 Titan for $30k, probably. And it would have sold hugely.
Market regulation favors the big and incumbent firms and dissuades competitors with ever increasing barriers to entry.
Once a corporation gets through three generations it becomes an institution. Too big to fail, because so many people depend on it for their well being. Any disruption might trigger the end of society 🙄.
To be fair, the Titan has never been a very competitive full sized truck. It has always been the also-ran among full size options, and Nissan’s horrible reliability and quality issues ever since the Renault takeover only made it worse. The latest gen Titan was always a rush job. They had partnered with Chrysler to co-develop a Ram/Titan product that got cancelled at the eleventh hour, and Nissan was caught with their pants down, so rushed the current Titan out the door. It was not competitive with anything and felt about ten years out of date upon arrival. They took what, on paper, should have been a fantastic Cummins V8 diesel and murdered it by sticking it in a Titan XD, a truck that cost as much as an HD but performed no better than a half-ton from the big three. All in all, the CAFE standards may have killed the Titan but only after a lifetime of neglect by Nissan.
The truly sad thing is that Nissan used to have a very good reputation among truck enthusiasts. The “hard body” compact trucks of thirty years ago were legendary for their reliability and toughness, comparable to the Toyota. The Nissan Frontier never equaled it, though not a bad midsized truck, though the current gen Frontier kept the V6 and updated the frame while modernizing the interior and styling, all good things. Quite frankly, it’s the best thing out of Nissan since the GTR.
Our predatory government has just culled the weakest from the herd, true, but it has mortally wounded the entire segment. The push for EV has marked the pickup for death since it seems EV pickups are an oxymoron. In their place will be light duty, disposable, micro-vans akin to what is used in Europe but EV only. So sorry if you live more than 100 miles outside of a sizable town and need basic service calls like plumbing, electric, or HVAC. Our trucks simply can’t drive out there that far. Best you just move back to town and take the unreliable, unsafe, poop-filled mass transit.
Hi SJ,
A good (and fair) summary.
I’ve owned two Nissan Frontiers; both (one I still have) excellent trucks that never had a major mechanical issue. My current (2002) has its original clutch, even. The engine runs like new and is likely to have another 100,000 miles left in it. I would buy a new truck like this in a minute – were it available.
And that’s what we’ve lost.
The newer ones are pretty good too Eric. I know they had some issues with the 2005 thru about 2009, brakes, rear differential, transmission cooler etc, but it seems they learned and corrected the problems over time. I have a 2017 frontier, probably the best vehicle I’ve ever owned. About 70k on it now, i have never had one single issue with it. Nothing. And, unlike most of the current vehicles, it’s still pretty simple. No fancy lane assist, electronics, etc. It’s just a good old fashioned honest truck without all the bells and whistles. Even the new 2023’s are pretty much just a reskin of he older ones. I think it’s probably the last vehicle out there that’s still repairable and not carried away with all the modern technology. If I ever decide to buy a new truck, it’s really about the only one I would consider.
By the way, I have a unicorn crew cab with the 6 1/2 foot long bed. My dinky ass little frontier is probably more useful than all those bigass bro trucks with their 5 foot beds. And I can reach into the bed without a step stool!
And you can get under the hood to the oil dipstick without a cherry picker or a high lift crane.
‘Best you just move back to town and take the unreliable, unsafe, poop-filled mass transit.’ — SojournerMoon
Dude, I am so on that … gonna get me a six-figure job on the streets of scenic San Francisco, just like this one:
https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/BIDENOMICS.jpg?itok=Q4KWsJdU
This following program is dedicated to the city
And people of San Francisco
Who may not know it but they are beautiful
And so is their city
This is a very personal song
So if the viewer cannot understand it
Particularly those of you who are European residents
Save up all your bread
And fly Trans-Love Airways to San Francisco U.S.A.
Then maybe you’ll understand the song
It will be worth it
If not for the sake of this song
But for the sake of your own peace of mind
— The Animals, San Franciscan Nights (1967)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hv0M5etXFA
I had a Frontier on the short list back when I was shopping for a replacement for the TDI. It looked like it checked most of the boxes, and was a bargain too. The problem I ran into was the dealer just ignored me. I mean I stood in the dealer’s showroom for 20 minutes and no one even bothered to greet me. This was at the only dealer outside of Denver. I know that the dealer isn’t the manufacturer but considering they had an entire row of Frontiers out in front of their lot you’d think someone might want to sell me one.
Maybe they’re just a money laundering operation. I doubt they’d be selling all those to fleet and rental companies.
Seems to me our cars are becoming like our “men”.
Weak, silly, un-useful caricatures of themselves.
Somehow the stupid and insane have wrested control while the rest of us went to work, and are driving full speed on the road to hell.
Yesterday, on another forum, someone compared ‘attorney general’ Garland to Heinrich Himmler, described (even when a boy) as ‘studious and awkward in social situations.’ But HH really cracked up, says Wikipedia, after he was appointed to command the Army Group Vistula — a post for which he was utterly unqualified. Then this happened:
‘Himmler established his command centre at Schneidemühl, using his special train, Sonderzug Steiermark, as his headquarters. The train had only one telephone line, inadequate maps, and no signal detachment or radios with which to establish communication and relay military orders. Himmler seldom left the train, only worked about four hours per day, and insisted on a daily massage before commencing work and a lengthy nap after lunch.
‘Himmler was unable to devise any viable plans for completion of his military objectives. Under pressure from Hitler over the worsening military situation, Himmler became anxious and unable to give him coherent reports. Soon Himmler, who had been under the care of his doctor since 18 February, had fled to the Hohenlychen Sanatorium.’
Today, as ‘Garland’ [not his real name] struggles to shield the multiple felon Hunter Biden with an ersatz special prosecutor, a vacationing Clowngress plots his impeachment. Garland’s beady little rat eyes dart ever more spasmodically as the walls menacingly close in on his malfeasance. Should he declare mental disability and check into a sanatarium? Or just flee to Israel? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Declare mental disability and run for the senate in PA.
BNSF’s weekly carload report: https://www.bnsf.com/about-bnsf/financial-information/weekly-carload-reports/pdf/20230805.pdf
More than 28,000 coal carloads led the number of carloads by more than 20,000.
When winter gets here, the number of carloads will increase to more than 35,000.
Coal trains heading east out of Wyoming will continue until the cows come home.
Coal tonnage has decreased from 900 million tons to 700 million tons in the US.
China consumes 50 percent of the 8 billion tons consumed each year, probably five times more than the US. China has anthracite, good stuff for burning.
The BNSF weekly report is a snapshot of the real economy.
A few years back, there were weekly reports of carloads of coal at 46,000 during the winter months.
The number of carloads of oil tankers was more than 12,000 ca. 2010.
This week’s number is at 5476 oil tankers. Carloads of motor vehicles are at 5080.
The Union Pacific hauls carloads of coal out of the Powder River Basin in Wyoming.
Hydrocarbons to the rescue, facts matter. Might as well turn some of them into electricity. Nobody complains. There are plenty of hydrocarbons on the planet, do let anybody tell you any different.
Don’t ever stop using hydrocarbons, go buy some more gas today. Read some of British Petroluem’s yearly statistical report, you’ll sleep better.
Even EV owners won’t complain about coal. They’d go nuts with no electricity.
They would finally wake up. Always some good news for those asleep at the wheel.
Those self-driving Teslas drive themselves into anything, walls, firetrucks, other vehicles, run over pedestrians. You can’t make this stuff up.
Stop Electricity! You will go nowhere fast with no electricity.
… do NOT let anybody tell you any different.
I read the word, but fail to type it, some kind of dyslexic symptom of dyslexia.
For the life of me I cannot understand why these sorts of government control over industry wasn’t fought – and fought hard, a long time ago. Once the 1970’s oil crisis ended, so should have the CAFE rules.
You hear about all of the power large corporations have, and how they lobby congress to get what they want and make things favorable for them to conduct business. The big three (and the imports too, while they aren’t US companies they do plenty of business here) should have lobbied to get rid of the nonsense decades ago.
But there’s the old saying of “give someone an inch, and he will take a mile”. The automakers gave an inch here and there and now soon they will have little left to give. For some unfathomable reasons they let the PTB put them on a leash so short, they are beginning to choke.
It’s too bad that not one of them has the nads to just say they cannot comply with these rules. And then threaten to take whatever manufacturing they still have in this country out. And also threaten to stop selling vehicles in the US.
For sure more than a few in both parties would freak – especially with the potential loss of lots of jobs (plus the unions would go nuts as well).
It’s sad that automakers, unlike so many other big businesses, don’t realize the power they had (and still do have).
But, I guess when they end up like Anheuser Busch, and are sitting on large amounts of product that no one wants, they might sing a different tune.
The main investors in these companies – Blackrock, Vanguard etc – have major investments in the green energy scam as well. So supposedly self destructive behavior here and there has big upsides for them elsewhere. Not one CEO in the world will go against them.
Hi Mark,
Sergio Marchionne did. And then he died…
Eric,
Are you saying that Sergio Marchionne’s death WASN’T coincidental?
i will say it. Once the deep state found Sergio was to undergo surgery, their minions made his surgeons an offer they could not refuse.
Hi Mark,
I’m saying I am suspicious of convenient coincidences… I don’t know that anything more than death as a result of natural causes occurred. But I find it interesting that the one CEO of a major automotive combine who publicly shat all over the EV “died suddenly.”
The important thing to remember is that they would not hesitate to do it if they saw a way forward, whether they did or not.
You mean like how those African leaders spurning the vax conveniently died and were replaced with pro-vax leaders?
Often wondered that myself, Lee. Back in the 70’s, I remember going to the auto parts store and a lot of parts like spark plugs, carburetors, air filters and so on would have two listings. One for 49 state and another for “California” cars. I couldn’t (and still can’t) understand why the big three bent over and built separate cars on orders from the bureaucrats in one state. When California created its CARB rules, all the manufacturers had to do was say “no more cars for California”. As soon as Californians discovered they couldn’t buy a brand new car anymore, that shit would have ended real quick. Same thing on the federal level. Car companies should have been suing the government left and right, and running PR campaigns to convince people that the government has no authority to regulate how they build their products. Oh well, I guess it was more profitable to go along and add all that smog and safety shit to inflate prices. Don’t get me wrong, I might concede that the government had an interest in cleaning up pollution. The add on smog controls were rough in the beginning. A lot of mid 70’s to early eighties cars were pretty much undrivable. By the late nineties though, they had figured it out. Virtually all of the emissions had been eliminated, and cars had more power than ever. That should have been the end of EPA involvement. Mission accomplished. Gas mileage is none of their got damn business.
Lee/Floriduh,
Me too, I couldn’t fathom why Volkswagen didn’t give Uncle the finger over the so-called “cheating” on emissions. Rather than debase themselves and pay an extortionate fine they should have refused to do any further business in the USSA. Close down all the dealers, pack up all their equipment and leave; then see how many Clowngress critters howled at the loss of jobs in their districts, and the associated tax revenue.
Hi Floriduh,
Yup! Some GM lore in re this: Pontiac (GM) only sold 403 (Olds) and automatic Trans-Ams in CA after 1977, if memory serves. The rest of the country could get the 400 (Pontiac) and manual transmission. “California” Corvettes of the same era were also automatic-only and came with the 5.0 305 V8 rather than the 5.7 350 other parts of the country got.
Wow. Late 70’s Vettes with a 350 were pathetic enough, I imagine with a 305 it would get its doors blown off by a current Mitsubishi Mirage!
About the same time period, Mopar couldn’t get it’s 360 LA engine to meet CARB’s NOx requirements, not even with dual “cats” and that Electronic Lean Burn. But the related 318 could, and even a rebuilt 273, submitted as an experiment, passed. The trouble was, the 318, even with a Thermoquad, still put out a measly 135 ponies for CA, and the 273 only 115! This was barely adequate for Aspens, Volare, and Diplomats, but a JOKE for the full-size “R” bodies and pickups. CARB wouldn’t even grant an exemption for POLICE vehicle!
More “FUD” – about EV fires – for Martin: https://www.autonews.com/regulation-safety/nikola-recalls-all-209-trucks-it-has-delivered-fire-risk
The car companies went along with gov demands because that would eliminate the smaller producers from the market, and make it easier to control the survivors. Each car company had to make their own pollution controls. The Japanese on the other hand had the Ministry of Trade who got all the Jap car companies to use the pollution controls from one company to cut costs. That gave the Japs the small car market which then led to the other markets.
When it comes to government, there is no such thing as “mission accomplished”. It’s “mission” is to get rid of the non-elites.
Yep, that’s THE question, Lee. We know why govt agencies (EPA, etc) do what they do (seeking more and more power), but why don’t the car companies push back? Why don’t they file lawsuits and drag everything out in court? Why don’t they wage a marketing war against the govt? All easily done.
Yes as Mark said, there’s the ESG PE guys’ influence, but it seems to go back before then and beyond that.
The latest batch of CEOs are all in on the climate change insanity and are some of its biggest cheerleaders — Farley, Barra, etc. — all hellbent on driving those companies over the cliff. Nissan changed over almost all exec leadership a couple of years ago, and the new guys couldn’t be bigger homers for WEF talking points. It borders on bizzaro-world-level shit, like some Twilight Zone episode.
Nissan always made a fine small truck. I had two that never gave me any problems. Had a friend who had two different Titans, both lemons. It seems like Toyota is the gold standard for trucks these days unless you’re talking monster dually diesels which Ford and Dodge are dominant in. We probably don’t realize just how many choices we still have. Its wonderful to have lived in a world with all these choices, unfortunate that its about change.
Its all being swept away, just like every Marxist revolution ever. The things that work are cast aside, the things that don’t are elevated. I feel lucky and blessed to have seen the before times. The last fifty years have been a golden era for the world. Not so excited about whats to come. Its enough to make you want to go off and find an island somewhere.
Titan is not a good name for a truck. Under pressure, the one and only Titan submersible can and does fail, epic fail, in fact. Have to avoid a word like ‘Titan’ these days.
An owner of a Titan found out that the costs of parts are sky high, ready to trade.
Doesn’t want the thing anymore. Stuck on zero.
‘Titan is not a good name for a truck.’ — eric
To americanos, it looks like TIE-tan. But the Japanese read the ti- as TEE. And unfortunately, syllable-based Japanese has no pure TEE sound. They substitute chi- for ti-. So in the Nissan factory, you pronounce it Chitan.
It gets even more complicated when Eric writes, ‘if [Nissan] could sell enough Ariyas and Leafs.’ One can argue that the plural of Ariya is Ariyae … and that multiple Nissan EeeVees are called Leaves.
All it means is that when the CAFE police arrive, they’ll be accompanied by armed, black-clad grammar police as well. But you have a clownstitutional right to remain silent. 🙂
Can’t wait to see MB’s assault on this post. Can anyone say “passive aggressive”. I have learned that it is a waste of my time to respond to such trolling. My suggestion is to ignore. Posters like MB, Cashy, Urth luvrs et al. Shunning works especially against an AI chatbox programed to respond. Beep beep, Danger danger.
I understand Eric’s position on terminating the poster, but eventually it’s just a time waster for the rest of us.
One by one another one bites the dust. Buy a ICE truck and beat the system? I don’t think so when all the gas stations are repurposed to charging stations. Only one way to beat this but sad to say,,, it won’t happen. Yeah,,, Too many lemmings ‘out there’ willing to let someone ru(i)n their lives.
Another one Bites the Dust.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY0WxgSXdEE
Retarded Man Feels Scammed After Buying $115K Electric Truck
Byinfostormer –
August 12, 2023
“A Canadian man is calling electric vehicles the “biggest scam of modern times” after his frustrating experience with an electric truck.”
“But Bala was quickly hit with the reality of owning and operating an EV soon after the purchase. The vehicle compelled him to install two chargers – one at work and one at home – for $10,000. To accommodate the charger, he had to upgrade his home’s electric panel for $6,000.
In all, Bala spent more than $130,000 – plus tax.”
“The limitations of the EV truck became even more apparent when Bala embarked on a chaotic 1,400-mile road trip to Chicago.”
““It was in [the] shop for 6 months. I can’t take it to my lake cabin. I cannot take it for off-grid camping. I cannot take for even a road trip,” Bala wrote. “I can only drive in city – biggest scam of modern times.””
Since these kinds of trucks are ubiquitous on construction sites and farms now, I wonder how that work will get done once they are driven off the market?
the elites don’t care.
construction and farm workers are interchangeable ants who will continue to toil away with whatever instructions they are given.
Seems like a smart time to pick up (no pun intended) an older used truck before the prices of those go even higher due to forced scarcity. Most people are unaware of the dynamics going on that you so skillfully write about.
Thanks, Analogue!
And – good to have you with us!
We need to get rid of CAFE, so this shit can just end. Tired of all the good things coming to an end thanks to Govt
Exactly. I’m waiting for someone, ANYONE, to put a stop to this nonsense strictly on Constitutional grounds. Every damn bit of it is illegal. Why we continue to tolerate the existence of CAFE or any of these organizations is beyond me.
I dont get how we don’t have a car enthusiast or common sense working folks in govt who make this an issue at all.
Not saying that its overall top 5 issues our nations dealing with, but its definitely top 10. Who do we contact to challenge CAFE, get it struck down like they did Roe v Wade
Hi Zane,
I think two factors account for it. The first is corporate poltroonery. The people at the top are not John DeLorean types. They are Vikun Quisling types. They lick the boots of power. Second, a depressing number of people in this country want what this country has become. They vote for it. This is why it’s not the country it was, anymore.
To the second point though, do they truly vote for it, or are the systems rigged?
Too many 4am ballot drops, days of counting and wimp’s conceding to make me think this is all a con job played on we the people
Hi Zane,
I just had a vision of a guy with a grizzly on top of him, chewing on his leg. He is saying, “Excuse me, Mr. Bear, who in your organization would I contact to stop this?”
It won’t bear fruit (so to speak) in my lifetime, but I believe it has to start with separation of school and state. Encourage everybody you know to get their kids out of the indoctrination camps now.
I whole heartedly agree. Public education is the longest running and most successful psyop in the history of the species. You and your kids would be better served just teaching them to read, write, and do basic math and turning them loose, giving them any reading material they want.
Also, public skewls are linked to property taxes. Government essentially owns your children and your home.
What if you home school? What if you own your own land?
Has to be a way to beat the system, shouldn’t be all death and taxes. Like the meme goes, “I’m sorry, I thought this was America”
I DO own my own land, with no mortgage. But I still have to pay the extortion property taxes, or the evil government will auction off my house. I believe property taxes are the root of all evil.
Maybe: politicians love of getting their grubby hands on & distributing property taxes are the root of all evil?
I agree, SLH –
Property taxes make it impossible to ever not have to worry about generating income – to pay the property taxes. If a man owns his land – actually owns it – he is a free in a way almost unimaginable to us today. He owes no one anything. He has a place to live – even if he is “broke.” He does not have to work and so does not have to submit. Owning also allows for the accumulation of capital – and this is what the people who came up with property taxes – want to stymie above all.
In my case, over the past 20 years, I’ve had to pay close to $50,000 to remain on the land I bought and thought I paid for. In another 20 it will have come to almost $100k – not counting the money that money might have earned me. But even if not, a sum sufficient to provide quite a comfortable cushion for my Geezerhood. Instead, it’s gone – to pay for the government schooling (indoctrination) of the kids of people I don’t even know.
Amen, Brother John –
But I think it will take a moral awakening before enough people begin to ask the fundamental question: Why is government involved in this (and other such things) at all? By what right does government involve itself in free exchange between (ostensibly) free people? If I want to drive a V8 truck and I pay for the truck and the gas – then that is entirely my business and no one else’s. “Government” is just other people. How is it that these other people acquired the power to involve themselves in my (or anyone else’) business? I don’t give a damn about their feelings – their belief that doing this – or not doing that – is “better” or “worse” for me. These other people are not my parents – much less my owners.
Government’s only justification is to keep the peace. Forcing people to do what it (that is, other people) say is the antithesis of keeping the peace. When it does the latter, it is no longer government. It is tyranny.