Saving money on gas, 'planet be damned'

The offer to cap gas prices at $2.99 for three years seems to be working for Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge. But it also appears to have started a contest among op-ed writers to see who can muster the most dire scenario for how this gimmicky promotion will actually send our society off the rails and into the ravine of crippling oil dependency. Writing in The New York Times, Thomas L. Friedman says it’s “the moral equivalent of tobacco companies offering discounted cigarettes to teenagers.” However, Friedman admits that his take pales in comparison to that of Tim Shriver, who wrote in Monday’s Washington Post: “So Dodge wants to sell you a car you don’t really want to buy, that is not fuel-efficient, will further damage our environment, and will further subsidize oil states, some of which are on the other side of the wars we’re currently fighting. ... The planet be damned, the troops be forgotten, the economy be ignored: buy a Dodge.” It’s a little wordy for a tagline, but it might be worth testing in a few select markets. UPDATE: More skepticism found here.

—Posted by David Griner

May 29, 2008 in Griner | Permalink