Cash for Clunkers

I arrived in the US yesterday on a week's visit on work.

I am hearing a lot of "exciting" things about this Cash For Clunkers program has apparently has been hugely popular.

Crudely put, this is what I understand of the program. if your car gives less than 18 miles per Gallon ( God knows why the Yankees stick to such 18th century units of measurement, when the rest of the world has moved on), then you could buy a new "Quasi Green" car which will give more mileage, and , in the process , get upto $4500 off the bill... that is almost 25% to 15% rebate on the car, depending upon the model.... the biggest to gain is Ford so far, and the Govt is serisouly debating extending this program, to give a second chance to the two candidates on death-bed - GM and Chevy.

Back to the basics. Who gains? Those guys who indulged in the gas-guzzling SUVs and Hummers of yore, when the going was good, at the expense of the those who thought it more prodent to go in for more fuel efficient cars. And who foots the bill? All tax-payers, collectively.
Net of it, you collect tax money from all and sundry, including the 'responsible" and "rckless" guys, and put that money in the hands of those " irresponsible" guys...

Much like the "bail-outs" which really set the precedent for all bad behaviour to be encouraged.

This, to me, is communism gone awry!!!