Did you know that under hypocrisy in the dictionary is a picture of Leonardo DiCaprio? Given the competition for this coveted honor, that is a major accomplishment. To be fair, Al Gore was disqualified on a technicality having something to do with the Screen Actors Guild. Word on the street is that Di Caprio has a lock on the title “Hypocrite of His Generation” after the purchase of a Fisker Karma luxury EV.
Not being a member of Mensa brain trust, I had to Google “luxury EV.” It turns out to just mean luxury electric vehicle or (as Rush would say) for you folks in Rio Linda, an expensive car. Now, I have no problem with how the very wealthy spend their money. In fact, all I ask is that they spend it rather than horde it. However, there are a couple pesky problems with the Fisker Karma and DiCaprio’s purchase of one.
In 2010, the U. S. Department of Energy provided “green” automotive start-up Fisker a $529 million federal government loan guarantee. As the United States is broke, we had to borrow 40% of that money (roughly $212 million) from China. I doubt that China loaned us that money interest free. However, Vice President Joseph Biden heralded the DoE loan as a bright new path to thousands of American manufacturing jobs. Oops. This past week we tax payers were informed that the job of assembling the Fisker Karma has been outsourced to Finland. The car company’s founder claimed, “There was no contract manufacturer in the U. S. that could actually produce our vehicle.” Oh, really? Can anyone say “Solyndra”? This is one more incredibly stupid decision by our inept and overreaching government.
DiCaprio doesn’t just pay lip service at being a leftist, environmental wacko. He is an impassioned environmental campaigner who said about Barrack Obama being elected President, “I couldn’t be more proud of my county right now. I think the entire world was looking for a transition like this.
In 2007, DiCaprio co-wrote, produced and narrated a feature propaganda documentary titled The 11th Hour. In this film, he makes the case that the world is on the brink because we have ignored nature’s warning signs and because our political and corporate leaders have ignored overwhelming scientific evidence. DiCaprio insist the United States “must transition to a greener future.” Okay. I could respectfully agree to disagree as long as DiCaprio included himself among those who had to “green” up.
Does Mr. DiCaprio walk the walk? According to Forbes, DiCaprio is worth about $220 million and was listed as # 15 on their “Celebrity 100 List” of most powerful people in entertainment. Yet, he owned a Toyota Prius hybrid. That was good for show. Unfortunately, this was exposed as sanctimony based on his infamous private jet, jet-setting life style. Surely he knows that air travel accounts for 2% of world emissions of carbon dioxide. Besides, his Prius is no more, turned in for the $100,000 Fisker Karma.
The official window sticker reportedly reads 52-mpg-equivalent in city and highway driving. Closer investigation, however, will disclose this includes 32 miles of all-electric range before the cars’ lithium-ion battery pack is drained. Then it only gets 20 mpg when the gasoline engine kicks in. So, we tax payers are out $529 million, go farther in debt to China, create jobs in Finland and add to the cool mystic of one Leonardo DiCaprio.
A word of caution Leo…Karma can be a bitch.
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I love it! This sorta thing makes me crazy! I just want you to get up on a podium in front of the Hollywood elite and read this aloud. They do this all the time and I don't know how or why they choose to embarrass themselves like this. I would think if you would go as far as to have a documentary about something you would be passionate enough about it to Walk the Walk.
ReplyDeleteLove you!
Sherry