“IT STRIKES” Again: Letter to the Editor

[Last week I posted ‘Know what SUV stands for? Simply Unnecessary Vehicles,’ a column that was originally published on Oct. 31, 2002. One week later, the following letter appeared in The Londoner.]

Why we love SUVs

I expect that Gord Harrison’s column struck a chord with many of us. I would like to expand on that because I believe that the popularity of SUVs can be attributed to the overwhelming influence of the Economic Imperative - that is the belief our very existence depends on economic expansion and wealth.

The fact that most of us are more or less captivated by this illusion makes us long for personal freedom and excitement in lives that often become dominated by the triviality of excess. This makes us vulnerable to all sorts of marketing ploys and those of the auto industry are reflected in the popularity of the SUV.


["Jon's letter is featured in my first book": photo GH]

The great influence of the Economic Imperative is now being seen in the apparently waning support for the approval of the Kyoto Protocol in Canada. Does this mean that we are willing to trade the opportunity to take on the truly exciting challenge of saving our future by healthy lifestyle changes for slavery on the treadmill of economic expansion?

All great teachers have told us that excess results in the paralysis of the human spirit. I think the human spirit is still alive and well in London but let’s examine carefully what is of real value in our lives.

Jon Baskerville,
London

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Jon’s letter stands out as one of the best responses to any of my columns.

Please click here to read ‘Know what SUV stands for? Simply Unnecessary Vehicles’

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