Honda Solves the Terror War

Honda Rolls Out Fuel Cell Car

Terror Oil War in Jeopardy

by Burleigh Sullivan

Has Honda done what our failed leadership in Washington could not, defeat terror?  Well, Honda’s new zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell car rolled off a Japanese production line Monday and is headed to southern California, where leading American voices of reason are already abuzz over the latest splash in green motoring. 

More, those in the corridors of power in Washington are shaking in their boots as the "Terror War" err – I mean the "Oil War" may be resolved by a capitalist from Tokyo, not America.  So if, like me, you have come to conclusion that our interests in the Middle Easts’ dirty resource of oil is the real reason we have a "Terror War" then it looks like Honda will lead the way out for us, not McCain or Obama.  Yeah, and the American people and its children along with our awesome soldiers will be the beneficiaries.  Mr. Honda for President!  OMG, did I just say that?  Is he an Elephant or a Donkey?  Maybe a Whig?   I mean, this darn thing might be ended by some Japanese guy hanging out at Sushi bar in Tokyo and not our gluttonous blathering bubbling self important leadership in Washington who wants to keep us on our oil addiction! Who knew?

Check this out……The FCX Clarity, which runs on hydrogen and electricity, emits only water and none of the gases believed to induce global warming. It is also two times more energy efficient than a gas-electric hybrid and three times that of a standard gasoline-powered car, the company says.

Honda expects to lease out a "few dozen" units this year and about 200 units within a year. In California, a three-year lease will run $600 a month, which includes maintenance and collision coverage.

Among the first customers are actress Jamie Lee Curtis and filmmaker husband Christopher Guest, actress Laura Harris, film producer Ron Yerxa, as well as businessmen Jon Spallino and Jim Salomon.

"It’s so smooth," said Harris, who played villainness Marie Warner on the hit TV show "24." "It’s like a future machine, but it’s not."

Harris, Spallino and Yerxa were flown to the ceremony, courtesy of Honda. Yerxa says he’s excited to show off the car and believes there’s "a lot of interest."

The biggest obstacles standing in the way of wider adoption of fuel cell vehicles are cost and the dearth of hydrogen fuel stations. For the Clarity’s release in California, Honda said it received 50,000 applications through its Web site but considered only buyers living near hydrogen fuel stations in Torrance, Santa Monica and Irvine.

"This is indeed a historic day for both Honda and American Honda – a new chapter in our nearly fifty-year history in America," said John Mendel, a senior vice president at America Honda Motor Co. at a morning ceremony here. "It’s an especially significant day for American Honda as we plant firm footsteps toward the mainstreaming of fuel cell cars."

Initially, however, the Clarity will go only to a chosen few starting July and then launch in Japan this fall.

Although Honda Motor Co. (HMC) was the first Japanese automaker to launch a gas-electric hybrid vehicle in the U.S. in 1999, it has been outpaced by the dominance of Toyota’s (TM) popular Prius.

Toyota announced in May that it has sold more than 1 million Prius hybrids, while both the Honda Insight and the hybrid Accord have been discontinued due to poor sales.

The FCX Clarity is part of Honda’s plan to keep pace with rivals in green technology. It also plans to launch a gas-electric hybrid-only model, as well as hybrid versions of the Civic, the sporty CR-Z and Fit subcompact.

So can a Japanese Company put an end to our dependence on foreign oil thus ending our "Oil War" posing as a "Terror War"?  I don’t know but it begs lots of questions e.g.

1. Can a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car get us out of the Middle East? 
2. Can’t we just let the Israelis and Palestinians duke it out for themselves and not involve our children?  Let them solve their own problems and stop giving billions out to all of them!  Fire them all!
3. Can the John Q. American Public grab on to this new Revolution and embrace a complete rejection of the Oil Wars and it’s surrogates in Washington DC?

I personally have faith that the American public is ready to revolt!  It’s time to re-light our American Ingenuity even if that spark has to come from some guy in Tokyo.  Hey, whatever it takes right?  I say No More Fake Wars for Oil and Money at our expense and the expense of our brothers and sisters around the world.  The Gluttony is Over! 

Bring on responsible energy use and let us Americans put forth a collective U.S. Energy Policy that brings back America’s globlal leadership and sends everyone in the current white house along with all of their surrogates in the Congress packing!  Yeah, that includes both Republicans, Democrats and anyone else who’s leadership contributed to this mess.  Ya’ll Stunk it Up!  Get it! 

This is America dammit and you screw it up, you get tossed. 

THROW ALL THE BUMS OUT! 

Bring on the Sushi and this darn Fuel Cell Car and lets get this 21 Century Back on Track!