The Idiocy Of Government

So, what happened to all those cars that were traded in during the 'Cash For Clunkers' subsidy of the auto industry? This is almost too absurd for words, but the government is paying to have them destroyed...driving up the price of used cars and parts in the process, and because this is the government we are talking about the cars can't even be crushed...because an industrious and handy frugal owner could still find parts to use to keep the car they didn't trade in...and we can't have that:

Kevin Helliker in the WSJ: [S]odium silicate is the designated agent of death for cars surrendered under the federal cash-for-clunkers program. To receive government reimbursement, auto dealers who offer rebates on new cars in exchange for so-called clunkers must agree to "kill" the old models, using a method the government outlines in great detail in its 136-page manual for dealers: Drain the engine of oil and replace it with two quarts of a sodium-silicate solution.

"The heat of the operating engine then dehydrates the solution leaving solid sodium silicate distributed throughout the engine's oiled surfaces and moving parts," says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration publication. "These solids quickly abrade the bearings causing the engine to seize while damaging the moving parts of the engine and coating all of the oil passages."

Your government at work, people. Why not just invalidate the VIN on each car, so they can't be sold but can still be used for parts? That seems to be a much better solution than the one in place. Oh, but that wouldn't be good for the environment, but pouring sodium into engine blocks is....

This was nothing but another bail out for the auto industry and one more way government is trying to keep us as nothing more than debt slaves. It won't work because as soon as this subsidy ends, the auto industry will again be in the gutter...unless they extend the program indefinitely, which would drive the price of used cars and parts even higher.

These are the same inefficient idiots some of you want running health care. What happens when this same type of crude efficiency is applied to hospitals? Don't think that can happen? I suggest you think again...