cross-posted from: https://pawb.social/post/23351353
How does a theoretical case of not having insurance companies make a car non-driveable?
this post was submitted on 23 Apr 2025
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Isn't anyone else disturbed by the concept of independence being a problem for this person?
I'd like more public transportation in America, but I'm not really interested in anything else they have to say.
No, because your premise is incorrect. This person is completely in support of the concept of independence, but simply rejects the notion that car-dependency provides it. Real independence is achieved by removing the dependency on cars.
You didn't read the second line?
"Now the whole idea of independence is a messy social construct with a bunch of issues that I won't get into right now."
I don't see how anyone could interpret that as anything other than a blanket statement about independence.
I searched up the artist to find more evidence and saw that I wasn't the only one who thought that, because they posted a follow-up attempting to clarify that specific line. The clarification just reiterates the point of the original comic and doesn't try to explain why that phrasing was used or what it could have meant.
So maybe they just phrased it poorly, but I'm not the only one who took issue with it.
Acknowledging that a concept is complicated is different from being opposed to it. You deciding to interpret the statement the latter way instead of the former is your own problem, not theirs.
They literally say:
"Now the whole idea of independence is a messy social construct with a bunch of issues that I won't get into right now."
(Emphasis mine). They are not just saying, "it's complicated." They literally use the word "issues."
Yeah. And "issues" means "issues," which is not the same as "bad."
"Issues" in this context means "problems", and problems are bad.
Yeah, and check this out!
That's the type of independence I want to strive for.
They want to "strive" for "issues"? We know what they think independence is. Why do they want to destroy society??
How is claiming that independence is a complicated, nuanced concept problematic?
It sounds like you are interpreting it as if they are saying it doesn't exist or something similar which is not at all what they said.
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(7 replies)
Owning or renting a home has the same requirements of dependency on multiple companies. Sure, in a city or large town or even some.small towns we could live without cars if we built the infrastructure.
But there will always be rural areas where cars make sense. Insurance would be a lot cheaper without all the city folk driving...
Owning or renting a home has the same requirements of dependency on multiple companies
Are you suggesting people go without homes? And that's analogous to going without a car?
Maybe you're really radical and want free public housing like people want free public transit, but that's far outside the overton window.
I am saying home ownership, the freedom that goes along with it, and the need to rely on multiple companies is the same and both have a different context in rural areas. So does renting and most other things in life.
Plus relying on public transportation means trading companies for government, which in theory should be better but then again government decisions tend to be strongly influenced by those companies which is how we ended up in the car centric urban hellhole that we are in now.
The comic comes across as dismissive of a ton of nuance that apply to large areas of the US to make a point that applies to urban areas.
In rural areas everyone uses either bikes or railways.
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How do I get to and then around Michigan’s Upper Peninsula? I don’t want to go be in cities like at all? What’s the plan for that?
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With a car, you can fix it yourself if you are determined enough. However, if you're using public transport, the same arguments apply + now things are enirely out of your control. There's no way in hell the public transport company will let you tinker with their broken stuff. The insurance company can pull out of them at any time for any reason. The company can go bankrupt, etc.
i feel like independance and not having to rely on someone would work better as an argument for the car.
No matter how determined I was to work on my car, it didn't matter. That shit sucks, is hard to do, especially if you don't have previous experience.
Also, cars today aren't roomy 1990's (or before) engines. They pack it so tight in there, with the need to specialized tools and knowledge.
Cars have become increasingly hard to work on oneself. Especially as computers and mechanical engines have been fused together.
I'd rather have my bike with a lane, or a sidewalk, lined with trees, than have stroads with rubber dust, smog, and noise, uninhabitable to pedestrians.
I guess you're right. Personally, I've done some maintainance on my car as well as some basic repair, but I can understand that it's not for everyone.
And yeah, as the other commentor pointed out bikes seem like a better symbol.
@Rin @grue It's hilarious watching people like you tout the "inevitability" of public transit failure as if **THE MAJORITY OF THE PLANET DOESN'T USE IT WITHOUT ANY OF THESE "INEVITABLE" FAILURES COMING TO FRUITION!**
It's almost as if you're spouting bullshit from a position of abject ignorance and a deep-seated aversion of analysis and/or introspection.
Almost.
My brother in christ, you missed the point.
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