Cars Don't Kill People. Toyotas Kill People.

Continuing the Big Brother mood that's come to the American car industry it's little wonder that Toyota, one the singularly most-named "dependable" cars that has outsold Detroit models for... oh, years..., finds itself in the Congressional hot seat due to deaths caused by safety issues. How many deaths out of the millions (billions?) of cars they've sold you ask? 40 the news shrieks, but that's not relevant. What's important here is the audacity of this foreign carmaker coming to our country and selling more cars than our own American brands. How dare they! No matter that recalls due to safety issues have affected every single car maker at one time or another. Some have been voluntary and some have not. Some have even caused deaths. Every single death caused by a defective automobile is a tragedy. But I'll admit to being at a loss to understand the absolute vehemence I've seen on the news from some owners of those cars who are acting as if they've been betrayed by the Pope himself.

Toyota will predictably retain its likability among consumers again. They just make a great car. And Obama-nationalized GM well... maybe they'll give us all a handy driveway alarm with every purchase.