I don’t think they make normal cars anymore. It appears that the only stuff on offer, new, is either a luxobarge, or one of those tall, ugly and rather unstable-looking SUV vehicles. Of course, there are pretty sports cars, but several of those don't even give you - or have space for - a spare wheel. This is an indication of a world that has lost its common sense.
Regarding prices: I am convinced that they are arbitrary things, based not on production cost with a modest profit on top, but cynical numbers based more on how vulnerable the buyer’s ego, and how deep his/her pockets.
I have abandoned my daily coffee in the local bar, because it seems that my system is not really any longer in a fit condition to cope with the caffein kick: it leaves me with a sensation of extreme nervousness. So, today I opted for a hot chocolate drink instead. Which almost ended up on my lap, when I read in the paper that automation doesn’t kill jobs. Really? Has nobody in political office ever set foot in a factory these days? The very purpose of automation is to replace expensive, unreliable human input! Yes indeed, in some countries unemployment is low and would appear to contradict that idea, but has anyone noticed that it’s a fact that skilled people of the right age are hard to find? Apprenticeships are rare; this shortage of skilled youth is the price for that. Sell-by dates apply to humans, too. We have the phenomenon, today, of some people being ushered into early retirement, and then discovering themselves over-qualified to pick up less stressful work they’d imagined would give them a less pressured life and a little more income to help with the pension. Guess who gets those low-paid jobs instead.
