Are gas guzzlers patriotic?

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No.

I used to talk to some motorcycle riders on a forum I used to frequent. I asked many of them why they needed to own such pointless vehicles. After battling them down, the main response was "because I can."

So, basically, "because you can" is why SUV's exist.

My car

No their not. If we were energy independent in the US we would not need to stablize the Middle East. We could have went all methanol in the 70's but the oil companies killed the idea.

No their not. I mean people who have SUVs, Hummers, and other gas suckers. As in one who sucks to much gas. I agree with it's because they can.

Neither yes or no. It's a baiting question.

No. Patriotic usually refers to an action or a person... I can't see how any car can be more patriotic than another, gas guzzler or not.

Here's my question... would you call those little american flags people put at the top of their car doors patriotic? Those things are technically illegal in most states because they're a distraction on the road.

I wouldn't know about patriotic, but they're crap from an environmental point of view.

Brazil went all methanol in the 70's. I heard the price at the pump (retail) is A$0.35 cents/litre which I think works out to about US$0.90 per US gallon (estimated w/o doing the math)

Lots of cars here run on liquid petroleum gas, which is more enironmentally friendly that petrol/gasoline. It costs less than half the price of petrol/gasoline, which makes big V8's relatively affordable to run. There is nothing like a V8

Annoying =/= patriotic, so I'd have to say no. Anyone who thinks they're a better countryman for owning a behemoth tank is delusional and suffering from microphallus syndrome(even if they're female).

I don't understand this thread.

It seems highly illogical to associate fuel choice with affection for one's country. Are people who watch American Idol patriotic? Are people who put bumper stickers on their car patriotic? Are people who grow corn more patriotic than people who grow wheat? Are people in Washington D.C. more patriotic than people who live anywhere else in the United States? Are senators more patriotic than congressmen? Does me wearing my socks inside out make me patriotic? If like 24 over The West Wing, does that make me patriotic?

Driving a car that does or does not "guzzle" gas is an absurd criterion for determining "patriotism."

Well you mean ethanol in Brazil. They burn a 90% ethanol 10% water mix (I assume there is a denaturant in that ethanol perhaps unlead gas, etc). The engine are a higher
compression ratio to so they can run more efficient on the ethanol blend. I think the water serves to boost the octane number and since removing the last 5% water is very expensive it make sense to leave it.

Methanol can be made from coal.
water gas reaction
C (red hot coal) + H2O (steam) = CO (carbon monoxide) + H2 (hydrogen)

CO + H2O + heat + catalysis = CO2 (carbon dioxide) + H2

CO + 4H2 + heat + Catalysis = CH3OH (methanol)

In the real world natural gas is used to make methanol currently on small scale.

methanol can be dehydrated to dimethyl ether and used as a clean diesel fuel but it would require mods to the engine.

http://www.woodgas.com/liquidfuels.htm

I will try to find the link to the history of how the oil companies killed methanol.

Patriotism is what needs to be defined. As you say "affection for ones country"

Love is not patriotism. Self-sacrifice for the country is patriotism. That means conserving petrol.

Hmm...not quite sure I agree with that definition of patriotism.

If a "patriot" is a person who vigorously supports their country and is prepared to defend it against enemies or detractors, then "patriotism" is therefore the act of being a "patriot."

Conserving petrol is a common sense kind of thing that doesn't depend on one's national affiliation.

Not necessarily. But when they stick an American flag or W sticker on the back of their Expedition XL, yes.

In many instances they are just a waste of money.