a detroit marlboro man

And there it was for all to see, complete with cowboys on horseback and cattle running around in the corral. The latest gas-guzzler truck from Detroit, called the 2009 Dodge Ram. Another indication of how cars are sold. Not because they are practical or useful, but because they evoke images of the Old West, freedom and the range. Ironically enough these cars will do their part in destroying that sensitive ecosystem that was once the American West.

Not to be outdone, Ford had its own blue-jeans clad cowboy leaning on the new F-150, another gas guzzling monster. Take a look at the NY Times image, where you see the dressed for success corporate type explaining the benefits of a red F150, complete with the new "Marlboro man." And just like Marlboro, this one is bad for your lungs too.

To show that it has something for everyone, Detroit also showed the Hummer HX concept car. That one for people who get off on military style transportation. No cattle here, although one can wonder why there wasn't a fake IED to give it a more realistic touch. Ouch ! I can sense we are crossing a line that few want to cross. We prefer to stay on the Rambo side of things, lest too much reality intrudes and douses our buying appetite.

Looking at all these bright images one wonders what car shows are really all about. On the one hand we had a dozen or so, hybrid, fuel-cell, electric and other alternative fuel cars that won't hit the markets until years from now if ever. As if to say, look we do have conservation in mind. We realize how unsustainable our life-style really is. We too are citizens of the world and we want to do our part -as long as the profits roll in that is. For now let's just imagine how things could be.

On the other hand we have gas-guzzlers galore. Oversized, overpowered, "performance" cars to be featured in America's never ending traffic jams. 450 horsepower idling in traffic at 4.5 mph, but sure to impress the girls and the neighbors. And like the Marlboro man, shiny and healthy looking on the outside, but sick and cancerous on the inside.

I challenge the Hollywood crowds and the upper classes to forgo this madness. To buy a small car. To drive less than 10,000 miles a year. To stop flying unless there is an emergency. To go live in a smaller house and turn the lights off at night. It would make so much more sense. And it would do no small part in ensuring we all have a future on this planet.