If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#81
|
|||
|
|||
LA Times: U.S. Love Affair With The Car Ending
Hans-Joachim Zierke wrote:
But now lets go back to the 1950s. Back then, it was unanonimous consent, that the private car would move us into a bright future. I'm not aware of any opposition to speak of, over here. Was there any, in the USA? For the most part this was correct. The problem was that the political right felt the need to help things along by destroying much of the mass transit infrastructure in places where it was needed. This infrastructure is now being replaced at tremendous expense. Even today, if not for the political right wing in the U.S., the negatives about the private car could easily be mitigated. Higher MPG standards would move people out of unnecessary SUVs into smaller vehicles, and would reduce the environmental impact of private cars. Plug-in hybrids, combined with nuclear power generation could eliminate much of the oil used for transportation, but with oil people in the White House, the chance of this happening is nil. Look at Exxon-Mobil's profits for 2006, and you'll understand that the right wing will never allow fuel efficiency to become public policy. |
#82
|
|||
|
|||
LA Times: U.S. Love Affair With The Car Ending
Frank F. Matthews wrote:
As was pointed out the 50s in particular had significant problems. Particularly with the idea of freedom in the US. Consider again the concepts of McCarthyism & segregation for starters. The 50s were FAR freer in the US than now. Really. I was living then. For example, political correctness had not been invented, so we still had true freedom of speech. But that was not what I was talking about ... I was talking about, for example, that intentionally making traffic more congested had not been thought of. No "diamond lanes" for example. No "traffic calming" to make drivers furious. No 55 mph speed limit. No seat belt or child seat laws. That is, we were freer. Doug McDonald |
#83
|
|||
|
|||
LA Times: U.S. Love Affair With The Car Ending
SMS wrote:
Even today, if not for the political right wing in the U.S., the negatives about the private car could easily be mitigated. Higher MPG standards would move people out of unnecessary SUVs into smaller vehicles, and reduce freedom ... the left just LOVES to reduce freedom See my "freedom" posts. The Right at least sometimes tries to protect freedom. Doug McDonald |
#84
|
|||
|
|||
LA Times: U.S. Love Affair With The Car Ending
Doug McDonald writes:
No seat belt or child seat laws. That is, we were freer. If you want to endanger yourself, be my guest as far as I'm concerned. But don't endanger your child. -- Patrick |
#85
|
|||
|
|||
LA Times: U.S. Love Affair With The Car Ending
On Sat, 03 Feb 2007 12:17:49 -0600, in misc.transport.urban-transit
Doug McDonald wrote in : Frank F. Matthews wrote: As was pointed out the 50s in particular had significant problems. Particularly with the idea of freedom in the US. Consider again the concepts of McCarthyism & segregation for starters. The 50s were FAR freer in the US than now. Really. I was living then. You know nothing. Bigotry was not only pervasive but enforced by law. Jim Crow made an attempt to keep our society from integrating. Fascism was all the rage, though it was called anti-Communism. If you weren't anti-Communist enough, then you were denounced as a Communist. A drunk from Grand Chute, Wisconsin terrorized people and wiped his butt with the Bill of Rights. For example, political correctness had not been invented, so we still had true freedom of speech. Like the freedom to kill black men just because they existed? But that was not what I was talking about ... I was talking about, for example, that intentionally making traffic more congested had not been thought of. No "diamond lanes" for example. No "traffic calming" to make drivers furious. No 55 mph speed limit. No seat belt or child seat laws. That is, we were freer. No freeways to speak of either. Even with a lack of adequate construction in the past two decades, it is still faster to drive than it was fifty years ago. |
#86
|
|||
|
|||
LA Times: U.S. Love Affair With The Car Ending
On Sat, 03 Feb 2007 12:19:39 -0600, in misc.transport.urban-transit
Doug McDonald wrote in : SMS wrote: Even today, if not for the political right wing in the U.S., the negatives about the private car could easily be mitigated. Higher MPG standards would move people out of unnecessary SUVs into smaller vehicles, and reduce freedom ... the left just LOVES to reduce freedom See my "freedom" posts. The Right at least sometimes tries to protect freedom. Please name one well-known right-winger who supports the expansion of freedom. |
#87
|
|||
|
|||
LA Times: U.S. Love Affair With The Car Ending
Doug McDonald wrote:
Frank F. Matthews wrote: As was pointed out the 50s in particular had significant problems. Particularly with the idea of freedom in the US. Consider again the concepts of McCarthyism & segregation for starters. The 50s were FAR freer in the US than now. Really. I was living then. For example, political correctness had not been invented, so we still had true freedom of speech. But that was not what I was talking about ... I was talking about, for example, that intentionally making traffic more congested had not been thought of. No "diamond lanes" for example. No "traffic calming" to make drivers furious. No 55 mph speed limit. No seat belt or child seat laws. That is, we were freer. There is no 55 MPH speed limit anymore in the U.S.. It was a temporary thing. In fact, Nixon wanted a 50 MPH speed limit back in 1973, which was so low that at least it wouldn't have lasted any longer than necessary. Congress thought that they were doing motorists a favor by moving it up to 55, when in fact 55 was just high enough that the insurance industry and other safety groups, latched onto it. At the time, most interstates were 60 MPH, with some toll roads at 70 MPH. Reagan may have been a poor president in terms of economics, but at least he dumped the 55 MPH limit. |
#88
|
|||
|
|||
LA Times: U.S. Love Affair With The Car Ending
On Sat, 03 Feb 2007 11:51:37 -0800, in misc.transport.urban-transit
Scott en Aztlán wrote in : "sharx35" said in misc.transport.urban-transit: Or, better still, use public transit for commuting, and *rent* the SUV when you actually need one. That doesn't really work. Families often need the larger vehicle every weekend, and several times during the week. Where they don't need it, is in everyday commuting. The SUV or minivan has become the defacto replacement for the large station wagons of the past. At least they get better mileage. So, who put a gun to their heads and forced them to have that many children that they NEED a SUV? 2 or 3 children can EASILY be transported in the back seat of even a medium-sized car. And who put a gun to their heads and forced them to buy a house that's so far away from school, activities, and everything else that the kids need to be driven EVERYWHERE? The interesting problem is that in some cities, the center city area may have schools at least as far apart as the places built up in the past two decades. Madison is a bit peculiar for geography, but people who live in the downtown/campus area are at least a mile from any public elementary school. |
#89
|
|||
|
|||
LA Times: U.S. Love Affair With The Car Ending
SMS wrote:
There is no 55 MPH speed limit anymore in the U.S.. You are utterly wrong. It's still 55 mph in Illinois on non freeways. Doug McDonald |
#90
|
|||
|
|||
LA Times: U.S. Love Affair With The Car Ending
Scott en Aztlán wrote:
And who put a gun to their heads and forced them to buy a house that's so far away from school, activities, and everything else that the kids need to be driven EVERYWHERE? The left-wingers who invented FORCED SCHOOL BUSING, that's who. People had to move farther than bus range away from people they didn't want their kids going to school with. That's the bottom line. Doug McDonald |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
American Love Affair With Cars Seen Waning | Brian Griffin | USA & Canada | 33 | September 3rd, 2006 07:52 PM |
I'am single and want a true love for life, hope to meet someone serious about love | [email protected] | USA & Canada | 1 | June 9th, 2006 01:11 AM |
I'am single and want a true love for life, hope to meet someone serious about love | [email protected] | Europe | 0 | June 8th, 2006 03:09 AM |
I'am single and want a true love for life, hope to meet someone serious about love | [email protected] | Europe | 0 | June 8th, 2006 03:08 AM |
Freedom Is ... A Family Affair! | Ray Goldenberg | Cruises | 0 | May 5th, 2005 06:09 PM |