When automobiles were first invented, many legislators were reluctant to raise taxes for roads. Those in the automobile industry whispered in many ears, “There will be much to tax!”. When that was understood, roads were quickly built, and the vast bureaucracies that regulate driver’s licenses, inspections, insurance, toll roads, excise, sales, and fuel taxes, road maintenance, snow removal, parking, repair shops, law enforcement, and weigh scales were soon flourishing.
Cars have become an indicator of political standing. SUVs are driven by one type of driver. Volvos, made by politically correct socialists in Sweden, are ever-popular with mid-level leftists. Many Volvo drivers positively hate and despise SUVs. There was great confusion in their minds when Volvo began to make and sell SUVs.
Volvo’s marketing experts were able to neutralize leftist ambivalence to their SUVs with an ad. It portrayed the usual thin, sensitive-looking, “vitally concerned” couple on their way to or from a cocktail party where “important issues” weighed heavily. They were driving down a dark, dangerous, winding road. On the way, they stopped their Volvo, and saved a large turtle from what appeared to be certain death.
Volvo drivers, as they were meant to do, gave a collective sigh of relief, and thanked Gaia for letting Vovlo make an SUV so they, too, could save an occasional turtle.
