The Toyota situation is yet another manifestation of just how ineffective our federal system of government has become. There was a time when Americans were proud to buy American manufactured products. We’ve replaced pride in our purchases with him that has the most wins — regardless of quality. We’ve devolved into a society where we’ve no respect for government officials yet remain indifferent in challenging the status quo. We’ve got corrupt special interests financially supporting self-serving politicians who have no clue what it means to be a public servant. Our food supply is compromised. Automobiles are unsafe. Toys we buy our kids might poison them. So when your Camry goes off the cliff filled with the latest spoils of your weekly spending spree at WalMart, thank your Congressman.
"A sinister cabal of superior writers."
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Dave Nalle
Libertarians - at least those who believe in the Constitution - aren't going to say this is the result of overregulation.
Regulatory oversight especially in the area of consumer safety is one of the legitimate roles of government. If I'd attach blame I'd say that the problem is too much government meddling in areas where they don't belong, while ignoring areas where they do have a legitimate job to do.
But in the case of the Toyota accelerator pedals, would government oversight have done the job? These cars were drien and tested by Consumer Reports and Road and Track and a dozen other reputable and expert groups and these problems were not found. Those private groups can do a better and more motivated job than any government inspector, and after years of these problems existing they never found them.
The truth is that we're talking about millions of cars which potentially have this problem and just a handful in which it has actually manifested. The reason why none of the experts spotted it before is that it only happens very rarely. Admittedly, one Camry over a cliff is too many, but at some point we have to expect that there's a level of acceptable risk and of tolerable defectiveness which comes with any mechanical device.
This is something which Americans seem pathologically incapable of understanding. Yes, vaccines have horrible side effects in 1 in a million cases. Yes, every once in a very long while your Camry goes off a cliff or smashes into a wall. Yes, the occasional toaster oven burns down a house. But grow up, people, that's part of the price we pay for all of the benefits which these things bring us.
Dave
2 - Silas Kain
It seems to be, Dave, that there's more to it than gas pedals or carpet locks in tandem with pedals. We have claims of brake failure in Prius. There are allegations of chronic electronic issues. How long will it be before Mr. Toyota blames American labor for compromising Toyota's record of quality and safety? Overall, the Toyota mess is indicative of a larger problem and that is basic consumer product safety. My major concern is how this will spin in the media. Bart Stupak is front and center in the MSM on this one. Let's face it, Stupak has been a target as of late on other issues and now he's trying to come in like a white knight to save the consumer. I smell a rat, a bail out or both. I just can't figure to whom it shall be given -- the finance companies? Toyota? The consumer?
3 - roger nowosielski
"The truth is that we're talking about millions of cars which potentially have this problem and just a handful in which it has actually manifested."
Eight million is not handful by any stretch.
". . .that's part of the price we pay for all of the benefits which these things bring us."
And this, too, is a rather odd way of justifying the merits of mass production at the expense of safety.
The fact that it's a Japanese automaker which is responsible for this oversight is more significant than anything else. It makes one wonder the kind of peril we're being exposed to day in and day out when shopping at Wal-Mart.
4 - Dave Nalle
Roger, there have been 8 million Toyotas which have accelerated out of control? I don't think so. You miss my point.
There are 8 million POTENTIAL problem cars, but only a handful have actually gone awry. The vast majority may never manifest this problem. The intensity of the uproar is -- as always -- out of proportion to the real danger.
Dave
5 - roger nowosielski
That may be so, but potential danger is cause enough for massive recall. If it weren't so, Toyota wouldn't jeopardize it's good name and reputation, and that's apart from incurring tremendous expense.
6 - roger nowosielski
I should have added that your point is valid, except that in any case involving safety, the response is somewhat justifiable.
To wit, would you not respond to the Toyota recall and opt for driving the potentially-unsafe vehicle at your own peril? And how about your wife and kids?
7 - Cindy
We have claims of brake failure in Prius.
Oh Silas, grow up and stop being such a baby, that's part of the price we pay for all of the benefits which [brakes] bring us.
8 - zingzing
"There are 8 million POTENTIAL problem cars, but only a handful have actually gone awry. The vast majority may never manifest this problem. The intensity of the uproar is -- as always -- out of proportion to the real danger."
says the man not driving a car accelerating out of control.
the uproar may be manufactured--toyota sales (-16%) are plunging, while gm (+14%) and especially ford (+25%) are surging this month (according to an article in the ny post, which is the most entertainingly ridiculous piece of shit newspaper on the planet; i don't buy it, my roommate does, but at least he knows it's hilarious).
9 - zingzing
well, not "this" month, of course... but last month. i'm pretty sure they're still up for this month as well, but those figures don't come out 3 days into the month, so i can't say.
10 - Cindy
And how about your wife and kids?
Real Libertarians do not to get too attached to their wife and kids.
11 - Silas Kain
Well, South Korea has recalled 444 Toyotas ALL of which were manufactured in the United States. Toyota models manufactured in Japan were not part of the recall. Now, my friends, that's the news out of Asia tonight. I smell it. I'm calling it. This is going to get pinned on the United States.
12 - Dave Nalle
It's our slipshod, overpaid workers, Silas. If they were paid half as much and lived in corporate housing with exercises at 6am and lunch served in cardboard boxes they'd work harder and do a better job.
Dave
13 - Silas Kain
That's not my point, Dave. Toyota needs a scapegoat. It's all about public relations in this world, no fact checking, just image. The MSM needs to sell minutes and what better story to entice GM, Ford and Chrysler to buy commercials on MSNBC, CNN and FOX. It must be their turn for a piece of the pie.
14 - roger nowosielski
So where is the truth, Silas? Do we know it for a fact that only Toyota USA produced a potentially-defective vehicle?
15 - Silas Kain
No, Roger, we don't. But read the report out of Seoul:
SEOUL (AP) - The South Korean government says Toyota's local unit is recalling 444 vehicles over defects in gas pedals and floor mats.
The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs said in a statement released Wednesday the vehicles were made in North America, and the more than 19,000 Toyota vehicles imported from Japan weren't part of the recall.
Now, I'm not a rocket scientist, Roger, but...???
16 - Cindy
12 - Holy shit, Dave. What a hostile, antisocial human being you are. I bet if you could develop a system that did just that, but allowed you your personal freedom, you'd be pretty happy with it.
17 - Cindy
Dave is just a worker-hating petty bourgeoiose guy, hiding under a title of Libertarian.
18 - roger nowosielski
But aren't they recalling the Toyotas in Japan as well? They wouldn't be doing that if only vehicles manufactured in US were possibly defective?
Another possible scenario: a pretext for economic wars.
19 - zingzing
cindy... i think dave was being sarcastic... unless you are being sarcastic... i'm pretty [and] confused.
roger: "Another possible scenario: a pretext for economic wars."
see my #8. i think that an out of control accelerator is a good enough reason to recall a car, but this has been pretty big news, and i wonder if it's an attempt (so far successful) to pull sales towards american car companies. shrug.
20 - Dave Nalle
Cindy, #12 was obvious sarcasm, pointing out the dehumanizing working conditions in korea and japan. The self-righteous cluelessness becomes tedious.
But my original point remains valid, that the number of actual cases of accidents caused by this problem doesn't necessarily justify the panic.
Dave
21 - Ruvy
Where do I sign up to buy a few of these recalled Camry's? I know a whole bunch of wonderful uhm people I would love to gift with one.
22 - cannonshop
Tens of millions of cars, a few million MIGHT have a problem (but it wasn't inspectors from the government, or consumer groups, that caught it-it was Toyota...)
There's an assumed risk when you drive a car, PERIOD. Notably, the manufacturer's recalling them and fixing it.
WE still need Government inspections and regs-but the damn inspections have to be DONE, they have to be DONE RIGHT, or they're worse than useless.
AS it is, I expect this WILL be a poltical football, because it's bloody Toyota. Toyota doesn't have many defective products in their history, whereas GM, Ford and Chrysler recalls are common enough that they don't even make the local news at greater than "short soundbite with pictures at noon" on a slow newsday.
23 - Ruvy
OK kids,
I've seen this before many times in Israel. If you want to divert attention from a scandal or a crisis (an assassination, a forced expulsion of citizens from their homes, etc.) you create a diversion. Before Rabin was assassinated, Shaba"k agents created diversions so as to shift all public blame to right-wingers and religious Jews. Lo and behold! A right wing religious Jew was forced to take the blame for killing Rabin! Before Gush Qatif, the Shaba"k wanted to divert sympathetic attention away from the expellees, so they found an AWOL kid, drugged him up and brainwashed him to shoot up a bus in Shwaram, an Arab-Druze village.
Diversions.
This business with the Camry's is the perfect example of a diversion compelling enough to take your eyes off the budget, the national debt, the break the economy "health care" proposals, the "bank tax", nuclear Iran, and a host of other things your administration has prepared as goodies for you.
That's is what's going down. Open your eyes and pay attention! The way your government is exaggerating this whole Camry thing is a diversion. And it is just the kind of diversion that will get your attention because you will all wonder if your car, whether it is a Toy or not, needs to be recalled for some reason or another.
24 - Cindy
19, 20 Sorry Dave. I hadn't read Silas' comment. Out of context, like that, all I could think of was how like to call workers lazy all the time. I figured you'd finally gone all the way around the bend.
25 - jeannie danna
Silas,
Why is there not one link in this article to prove your point?
Now, that was civil.