SUV City
Here’s a funny cartoon satire about people who drive huge SUVs and how they see the world from where they sit. [viewable in multiple formats]
| Go to Home - Most Recent PostsHere’s a funny cartoon satire about people who drive huge SUVs and how they see the world from where they sit. [viewable in multiple formats]
| Go to Home - Most Recent Posts
August 30th, 2005 at 3:01 pm
Why would you link to a cartoon like this? This is clearly anti-business, pro-environmentalist propoganda. The SUV is probably one of the most noble and life affirming transportation machines ever created. They should be rigorously defended not ridiculed. As you must know, the solution to the energy problems facing us is greater economic freedom not waging a war against the few freedoms (and their symbols) that we have left.
August 30th, 2005 at 5:00 pm
I linked to it because I thought it was funny, although a little too long.
I thought it was more of a commentary on the drivers of the SUV rather than the SUV itself. I always find it very ironic when I see liberals who are always advising us to protect the environmentalist driving SUVs. While they did not specifically focus on that stereotype, they did portray SUV drivers as oblivious to their surroundings, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve almost been run over by an SUV driver yacking on their cell phone.
They also pointed out that some SUV drivers like the fact that they sit higher up and the vehicle weighs more than other vehicles so they fell safer. This may be true until every other person is goes out and buys a higher, heavier vehicle, at which point you’re on the same level as everybody else.
The SUV “probably one of the most noble and life affirming transporations machines every created”? How so? That’s an awfully big stretch. I think that an airplane or a spaceship trumps an SUV any day of the week. An SUV is basically a station wagon body on a truck chassis. Not too much original going on there.
Economic freedom? Absolutely. But we don’t have it. If we did, I suspect we’d have better vehicles than SUVs to drive. I think you’re ignoring the fact that many people who drive overpriced, fuel wasting vehicles got their wealth through government control of markets. It’s the same way they can afford their 8,000 square foot houses–passing laws that force people to buy their products.
Let’s have a truly free market and then we’ll see what kinds of vehicles and houses people buy.
You also can’t ignore the fact the role of the Federal Reserve in creating huge amounts of paper wealth which has artificially inflated the value of real estate for example. People the borrow against that inflated value to buy their expensive gas-guzzling cars. Without the counterfeiting of currency by our fractional-reserve banking system, which ultimately steals money through inflation from working people, many people would never settle for such wasteful modes of transportation. They couldn’t afford to.
If anything, huge SUVs and other trophy vehicles are evidence of just how little freedom there is in the market thanks to government intervention.
August 31st, 2005 at 2:03 pm
” I think you’re ignoring the fact that many people who drive overpriced, fuel wasting vehicles got their wealth through government control of markets. It’s the same way they can afford their 8,000 square foot houses–passing laws that force people to buy their products.”
This sounds to me like thinly veiled envy. Most people who buy 8000 square foot houses earned them.
“The SUV “probably one of the most noble and life affirming transporations machines every created”? How so? That’s an awfully big stretch. I think that an airplane or a spaceship trumps an SUV any day of the week. An SUV is basically a station wagon body on a truck chassis. Not too much original going on there.”
I meant noble in the philosophical sense. Its a large gadget filled luxurious (higher end) vehicle that is a pleasure to drive and allows better traction for inclement wheather. It is a thoroughly “selfish” car which is why I called it noble. And also it is available to practically anyone with good credit so it is a mass marketed vehicle as opposed to planes and “space shuttles” which while awe-inspiring inventions are not (typically) designed for an individual’s solitary use. A SUV is. It is like having your own private cockpit. Every man is king in their SUV.
“Let’s have a truly free market and then we’ll see what kinds of vehicles and houses people buy.
Fine, but why knock what they buy today?
“You also can’t ignore the fact the role of the Federal Reserve in creating huge amounts of paper wealth which has artificially inflated the value of real estate for example. People the borrow against that inflated value to buy their expensive gas-guzzling cars.”
Just because the government has debased the currency and made it neccessary (for all but the rich) to purchase cars on credit why hold this against the consumer who purchases an SUV? It sounds like you are blaming the individual consumer for the sins of government created inflation. But then I see this with most of your response. It has a “take that you greedy rich bastard” tinge to it. Why else would you use the term “gas guzzling”? Who cares if SUV’s guzzle gas? To use that term is to grant the environmentalist’s prmises. In a free market, gas would be plentiful and cheap and no one would waste time lamenting “gas guzzling”.
“Without the counterfeiting of currency by our fractional-reserve banking system, which ultimately steals money through inflation from working people, many people would never settle for such wasteful modes of transportation.”
Again why wasteful? Wasteful to whom? Also, your line of reasoning sounds eerily similar to that put forth by marxists which, it is my observation, is a common phenemenon with libertarians (as opposed to Objectivists). There is simply too much of a class focus in your reasoning exemplified by this statement: “huge SUVs and other trophy vehicles…” Wow, if I didn’t know better, I’d think you have a grudge against people in high tax brackets. Trophy vehicles? Why not high quality automotive transportation purchased by proud people who earned them?
The reasoning in your post is what I expected and why I have totally written off libertarians. Scratch the surface and far too many of them appear to be envy ridden marxists.
September 1st, 2005 at 8:55 am
Thank you for sharing.
I’d rather have a degree in science and a blog any day of the week instead of an SUV.
Maybe your just jealous because you have neither?
It’s one thing to be a an Objectivist in name and another to be an Objectivist in reality. Rand called her philosophy meta-SCIENCE for a reason.
You might wish to read this post which gives an example of what happens when people ignore scientific realities.
Remember that in Rand’s eyes it was immoral to ignore objective reality.