Republican Economics

In a column that reveals a lot about Republican values, James P. Pinkerton (aren't you glad he throws that "P." in there, to distinguish him from all the other James Pinkerton writing columns?) writes of the decline of General Motors and points to the experience of Harley Davidson's rejuvenation, assisted by a 1983 Reagan Administration tariff on imported motorcycles.

Acknowledging that GM is too big and its product line too varied to directly mirror the success of Harley, which has always been kind of a boutique motorcycle, he suggests that with some taxpayer assistance some of GM's divisions could be spun off and survive. Which does he have in mind? Is it Saturn, with its line of relatively inexpensive and fuel efficient vehicles, a line within financial reach of most Americans? Is it Chevrolet, with a varied line of vehicles, including the fuel efficient Aveo with a starting price of around $10,000? No, what Pinkerton has in mind are the famously wasteful Hummer and the equally conspicuously consumptive Cadillac, both notable for the government subsidies they already receive through tax breaks provided to those who purchase them.

Pinkerton's column reveals once again the Republican mindset that seeks to reward wealth and selfish waste, at the expense of the common good.