Brought to its knees

Monday, February 22, 2010

A commentary from Hans Noeldner, an active member of the Madison Peak Oil Group:

Imagine the world’s largest, most powerful corporation brought to its knees, bankrupt, and begging for a bailout. Then think back…

Imagine that corporation spending untold millions in advertising to compel Americans to buy the biggest, baddest “armored personnel carrier” on the road.

Imagine the hundred million people (or thereabouts) who bought these gas-guzzling monstrosities – many of them safety-minded soccer moms who wanted to make damn sure that if there was an accident, the other guy would get the worst of it.

Imagine the steadily-escalating arms race on our nation’s highways and streets as motorist after motorist Escaladed his vehicular footprint in a never-ending quest to outdo the next guy.

Imagine how profitable this arms race was for that corporation; how it racked up billions in sales.

Imagine that corporation being one of the few in our nation which still employed union labor; one of the few which made a sincere effort to honor its pension obligations.

Imagine the consumer turning his back on that corporation when he woke up one day and realized that cheap motor fuel was not a birthright.

Imagine the consumer abandoning his “social contract” with the union employees and retirees whose salaries and pensions vastly exceeded the obscene “compensation packages” which the handful of corporate executives rendered unto themselves.

Imagine the consumer condemning that corporation for failing.

Imagine the consumer still fuming about the power of corporations to force him to drive everywhere.