Reader Question: Kill Diesel Conspiracy?

Here’s the latest reader question, along with my reply!

Brandon asks: I’m not one to believe in big conspiracies. But the way diesels have been disappeared from the market is creepy. Consider this odd thing I noticed. I’m a big Jeep fan.  I drive and Grand Cherokee and love it. I wish I had bought the EcoDiesel when it came out in 2014 but the price was too much for me then. Of course, FCA went through the shake-down treatment by big G, and the diesel was taken off the market for a couple of years. Here’s the weird part: The diesel is back for 2018 and 2019 Grand Cherokees – but you wouldn’t know it.  On Jeep’s web page, where they describe all of the engines available for the vehicle – but the EcoDiesel is not on the list. Even on the Build your Own configurator, the only place the engine exists, Jeep declines to mention what fantastic fuel economy this engine gets (28 mpg highway). This is by far one of the most appealing SUV/engine combos on the market, yet Jeep seems to want to hide it! I wish I better understood what is going on here, but I smell government. You’re probably aware of this, but I thought I’d let you know. There might be a story here. Someone should call them on this.

My reply: “Conspiracy” in practical usage amounts to a non-orthodox/alternative explanation of an event; the term is used to delegitimize any non-official version of events. Thus, it is “conspiracy” to talk about Operation Northwoods or to raise questions about the Warren Report or the 9/11 Commission. The purpose is not to dispute facts which contradict official orthodoxy but to dismiss or simply ignore them.

Note that anything not “official” – even if provably true – is regarded by most people as a “conspiracy theory” because the major media has not embraced the heretical view or simply ignores it.

On Jeep: Yes, I’m aware – and the reason, I believe, for Jeep’s silence is that the future of diesels is dire and why publicize and market what you’ll probably be forced to take off the market? The government does not want fuel efficient diesels on the market. It wants unaffordable and more amenable to being controlled electric cars – especially automated ones. Diesel-powered vehicles threaten the electric car agenda. It’s really that simple and when you grok this motive, everything else makes sense.

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