Good thing my quality of life went down to protect checks notes baby eating pedofiles? OK…
The meme captures the absolute frustration in Europe and the rest of the world for our spiralling costs. Costs arising directly from the elected President illegally attacking Iran, without discussing with anyone but Israel.
We’re not arguing who has the greater car / truck dependency. But for those still wanting to pursue the point, don’t forget that Europeans pay considerably more taxes for our public services and so more tax now too.
This is true, but the risks of the oil economy have been known for a very long time. Everybody knows that the oil/auto fuel supply chain is in areas with fragile geopolitical relations and it’s not like this hasn’t happened before.
What we should be doing is channeling our frustration toward transitioning from ICE automobiles to EVs[1], but look at how slowly European carmakers are adapting. The rate of change in Germany has been embarrassingly slow and China is galaxies ahead of anyone else. We need to invest and compete, rather than throwing up our hands and blaming others for fucking up things we shouldn’t be depending on anymore.
[1]: and improving public transit too of course
Yes yes and thrice, yes. 🙏
I’m not really convinced China is that far ahead of everyone else in the EV market. Sure, they have cheap cars, but is the quality better? I haven’t tried a lot, but to me it seems the quality and features are pretty much the same as european, japanese or south korean. I just bought a Japanese car, because the BYD that was comparable but cheaper just felt like a toy car. Everything about the interior just felt like cheap plastic. The infotainment screen was a mess, and I had to go into 3 (3!) submenus to turn on the heated seats.
I’m not convinced the chinese cars are better. They’re comparable and cheap, but it’s not like they offer something no one else does.
I can speak from point of view of having a new electric made in France Renault Megane with a pretty fancy interior and a new made in China electic Dacia which is super basic and say I do not care a jot about interior quality… what I am loving is the incredible reliability, the instant start, the incredible torque and acceleration even from the tiny cheap Dacia. (Just don’t floor the Dacia because the tyres are the weak point) and you can get dramatic wheel spin!
Agreed, they probably are cheap garbage (I myself don’t know, I haven’t driven cars regularly in a while), but two things:
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Manufacturing volume is really important in making cars. You need know-how, you need experts and ways to make things better and deliver incremental improvements, and that becomes a lot easier when you have higher volumes.
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People don’t have lots of cash to burn these days - quality is easy to sacrifice when you don’t have the cash to pay up.
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Indeed, fuel in Japan is higher than in Europe. In the USA, fuel should take a backseat and the cost of healthcare should be the main topic for change.
Me with my tiny range electric car finally being smug about something.
I’d happily pay European-level taxes on my gas if my taxes didn’t purely fund war and keeping the rich in power
I’d happily pay European-level taxes on my gas if I had literally any alternative to driving in my area.
I’d pay those taxes if the dumb wars ended, we did not have a scammy healthcare system, and a public safety net that actually functioned well plus not having to use fucking middle men to pay my goddamn taxes every year…
I’d happily pay european-level taxes on my gas if we had the same amount of affordable electric alternatives.
Which country doesn’t do that?
I see your point, but it smacks of whataboutism. The US is clearly an outlier at the moment, both in terms of attention and currency paid.
Actual weekly gas spending as a household budget item is probably higher in the US on average.
I’m just happy I bought two electric cars to replace my old ones back in January. Now, for both cars combined, I spend a total £30 on ‘fuel/electric’ a month. Also electric cars are just a million times better in every respect.
Ill complain about whatever I want, fuck you
At least the Europeans have public transportation
This is about americain people. I don’t think this adress to us, french people.
No idea about this. I drive a Honda Civic in the US, and hardly notice gas prices. I’m much more concerned about food prices, rent prices, and unemployment rate.
At least you have a car you can sleep in if rent gets too high. I hope its paid off.
It’s bad for us both and arguing about who has it worse is childish and stupid
And also it’s always the Europeans that have it worse.
Laughs in doesn’t even own a car
But overall they have it better because their villages and towns were made for people and not cars.
To paraphrase Bill Nye, eye protection on; if you raise the cost of fossil fuels, fewer people will use them; eye protection off.
Europeans don’t have to drive to survive the way most Americans do.
Depends. In cities no. In rural areas or small villages, often yes.
But then that goes for America too.
I guess? Most American cities have extremely poor public transport. NY and Chicago are okay but in most of Europe any place with more than 50-100k people will at least have a tram system and regional trains, maybe even a metro. It’s just when you get down to places with only a few thousand or a few hundred people, then the bus to town might only come once in the morning and once at night or something like that.
It’s not like all European towns have perfect public transit. We have plenty of places without a busline too. I agree it’s not to the extent of the USA, but here in Denmark we have a lot of smaller communities that simply don’t have busses, because they’re not directly sandwiched between two bigger cities.
Yes that’s basically what I was saying, that in small places the options can be very limited. I don’t know about Denmark but where I have lived (France, Germany, Switzerland) and visited, without literally any bus at all is still somewhat uncommon.
no, in Statesia most cities don’t have functional public transit
Im also european but even in rural areas you tend to not have to drive american distances as often. Americans often consider anything below 3h drive a short drive (crazy right?)
Ah yes goods and supplies don’t have to come by truck. They can just public transport themselves to the supermarket.
don’t forget the postal delivery pony
Try living in the alps, for just one instance.
There are more European countries than the Netherlands.
Well it’s about time we fix that, isn’t it?
Gekoloniseerd
The distances the average american has drive is greater than that of the average european
Sure. Doesn’t mean that there aren’t millions upon millions of Europeans who spend more than 1-2 hours per day in their cars.
A crass misunderstanding, but sure, if its what you think.
Of course, excuse me while I take the monorail into town to do the weekly shop.
Oh really?
Oh no, if it isn’t the consequences of everyone’s collective actions
Yeah, fuck that guy for not being born in a different place or having the socioeconomic standing to pack up their entire life and move to a better place. He deserves to be miserable for other people’s collective actions!
Lack of empathy for people who inherited their forebearers mistakes is not a desirable character trait.
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That’s such a nonsense argument. 80% of the US lives in an urban area. That has plenty of options for walkable neighborhoods with public transportation. The reason that those don’t exist are active policy choices that people have voted for and keep voting for.
Have you even been to the US? Even most of the urban areas have horrible public transit and even worse infrastructure for biking.
Maybe get off your high horse and engage in reality.
I think that’s exactly what that person is saying though. There is plenty of opportunity for good public infrastructure, but bad policy and auto lobbies have prevented them from happening. A good example is how most neighborhoods are not allowed to be located with businesses/shops/restaurants, and vice versa. This simple change would make so much more of the country more walkable
The shitty thing is before WW2, America had some of the best public and most profitable transportation infrastructure in the world. American railroad tycoons were some of the most wealthy individuals in the nation for a time even and before that it was steamboat tycoons. As you say auto lobbyist ruined it all unfortunately and AmTrak is a sad excuse of what’s left.
To this day, the boomers in my life tell me that “freight trains in the US are the envy of the world.” Ok, great, but it would be nice if it was usable in daily life
Maybe vote for somebody who will give you better public transport and cycling infrastructure.
Naive take at best. Love the tone deaf armchair “advice” all the non-Americans have for us, like you’ve been through this before and led a political movement yourself to earn the social safety nets/benefits your country provides for you. I’m sure you fought for everything you enjoy, lol.
No doubt, getting everyone convinced to vote is a good thing, but the majority of this comes down to money in politics, which will take a fucking revolution to change, not a ballot.
Living in a country under laws written by oil corporations, in cities whose public transportation was privatized and destroyed by car manufacturers.
Yes… I’m occasionally sorry I was born too. Thanks for that.
I just answered the question. IDK why you’d take that as a personal attack.
Yes but no. What you say came later.
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Commuting from the suburbs to the city center is a perfect use case for advanced high-capacity public transportation. It’s something that most cities on earth manage, the US could too.
Also this isn’t theoretical. The deliberate prevention of new and in some cases destruction of existing public transportation in the US to increase car dependency is well-documented.
The pressing question is: why must public transport he economical viable when its supposed to enable the economy by moving people from their homes to the working place?
Fyi, Europe is bigger
What about rail? What about EVs?
What about trading in those giant penis extensions you drive for something more fuel efficient?
Scandinavians drive a lot
Yes we do.
I have to drive 32 miles (~51 km) one way to my job and there is no public transit anywhere around here.
Honestly when Americans chime in about anything going on in the world. When I hear an American complaining about another country or their actions, I just want Americans to sit down or go fix their own dumpster fire. I
Baby needs to be thrown out with the bathwater. It was a fun project, but at some point everyone needs to cut their losses, and accept that uncontrolled capitalism is not it.
So then get to it, throw out the bath water as it were and use that 2nd amendment, otherwise it’s all just talk and do nothing and let it go on
I’m not american, but you’re right.
Sounds like you misunderstood the analogy, I don’t think the person you’re referring to has 2nd amendment rights.
Too many people here still think the problem is just Trump. They might temporarily agree with you but I guarantee if we get some shill like Newsom as our president in 2029 most people will go back to sleep.
I’m afraid things will have to get much worse here for the average suburbanite before they realize the dumpster is even on fire.
I don’t see how you guys aren’t scrambling and begging for Newsom at this point. You think the rest of us around the world haven’t had to hold our nose and vote for a crappy politician to not let the fascists win? It sucks but it’s the only option you have. Staying home is actively helping the fascists. You guys ignored the issue for too long and frankly now it’s too late. There is no more time to pout and turn your nose up at the people opposing Trump
I never said I wouldn’t prefer him to Trump. My point is that America has been a proto-fascist imperialist wrecking ball for far longer than Trump has been around and that’s only possible because too many Americans are brainwashed and propagandized into an absolute stupor.
And as far as the rest of the world is concerned, the main difference between Trump and Newsom is decorum. Newsom would absolutely continue supporting genocide in Gaza, sanctions against Cuba, nuclear brinksmanship with N Korea, and reckless belligerence against China. Yes, he’d do it with more tact, but that’s not much comfort to the people being starved and bombed.
Californian here, Newsom is only mildly better than a fascist as is. Dude would’ve been a Republican back in the 70s but the Republicans as a brand are too toxic to gain and hold substantial influence in the state.
Just look at his stupid ass podcast and his interview with the ol bleedy neck, he is far too nice to him and all but grovels. It’s all rather pathetic, but regardless he would most likely be worse than Biden or even a milksop like Harris. Him getting the nomination would be four steps back, here’s hoping he catches a bad case of death before 2028 assuming the US even survives to that point.
Should try to convince people that it’s less expensive to drive in Yarp because they buy liters of petrol instead of gallons of gas.
I’ve suggested this for ages to sell people on metric. Gas sounds cheaper per liter (smaller number), you weigh less in kg, etc. I don’t know why gas stations aren’t all over this with their shady marketing and 9/10 of a cent pricing.
