Patriotic Scoundrels: Chrysler and Bob Dylan

In 1774 Samuel Johnson wrote, "Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel." In his 1983 song "Sweetheart Like You," Bob Dylan echoes Johnson's sentiment with the lyric, "They say that patriotism is the last refuge to which a scoundrel clings."

Meet the patriotic scoundrel of 2014: Chrysler, with an assist from Dylan.

In Chrysler's Super Bowl ad, Dylan sings a new tune. The tag line he intones, "You can't import America" has one problem. It leaves out the fact that Chrysler is owned by Fiat, an Italian automaker.

Chrysler's omission is a cheap ploy that preys upon American pride. It assumes Americans will hear the question "Is there anything more American that America?" and get swept up in a patriotic fervor of American exceptionalism. It's meant to build affinity for a company that isn't even American.

If you want to buy a car that is truly American, consider Ford, GM or Tesla, all based in the USA.