Gonzague: Make It Work... or Get Off of My Cloud

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  1. wrenchBiscuit profile image68
    wrenchBiscuitposted 9 years ago

    http://s1.hubimg.com/u/8968500_f520.jpg
    American citizens are being killed daily. Over 40,000 will die this year. Many thousands more will be crippled and paralyzed as a result of so-called automobile accidents.But if the CDC, and other organizations,can make such accurate predictions,we must understand that what is being defined as an "accident" is no accident at all!  Drunk driving fatalities are a smoke screen used by the government to distract from the real issue: The real issue is cars.Period! A car is a killing machine.Although drunk driving is a problem,it is a fact that more people are killed by  drivers who are sober.Please ask yourself the following questions:

    • Why do most cars have the capability of going in excess over 100 mph?
    • Why does the government insist on seat belts when 40,000 are still dying every year,in the U.S. alone?
    • Would you allow a monkey or baboon to play with an assault rifle?
    • Would you allow a 5 year old child and his friends to play with a loaded automatic weapon?
    • Why do we focus blame on the person who caused the accident, but not also the person who put the dangerous weapon in their hand: Manufacturers, car dealers,etc.?
    • Do we not blame and prosecute drug dealers for putting dangerous drugs in the hands of children,and adults?
    • Why do you buy an automobile for your children when you know it can kill or cripple them for life?
    • Why does the average citizen not equate driving a car with Russian Roulette?
    • Is your convenience worth the cost of 40,000 lives this year in the United States?

    A human being is prone to accidents and mistakes.This is only human nature.Henry Ford, and the evil bankers that control this country, and the world , have created an evil system in which the citizen is  encouraged to drive a car.They have created a system based around the car in which anyone who does not own a car has a difficult time maintaining employment and functioning in society.

    Why have they done this terrible thing? Here are the reasons:
    • to enslave the populace with a commodity; a commodity that  many have been falsely taught they cannot live without.The cost of buying a car,upkeep,and gas,keep the average citizen focused on work and recreation.Leaving them little time to focus on the man behind the curtain.

    • To thin out the heard. Overpopulation is a problem, and the government needs to keep a balance.

    • To provide revenue for insurance companies,car manufactures,and the oil barons. The automobile also provides billions of dollars of revenue for  city and state, through the collection of  traffic fines,taxes,and fees.

    • Some have speculated that the car,along with various industries that emit toxic fumes into the atmosphere, is also being used as a means of altering the Earths atmosphere in order to make it more suitable for an alien race. Although many will find this to be a fantastic claim,considering what I have witnessed in this lifetime,I believe it is at least  a very real possibility.

    The car manufacturers are not our friends. The insurance companies are not our friends either; in spite of a cute little geco, an ugly woman that wears too much makeup, and a black guy with a soothing voice.But there is a solution to this madness,which is why I have posted this article.The solution that is available for us today is Mass Transit. The United States has sent men to the moon,spent billions on space exploration,spent billions on wars over the last 150 years,and spent billions on sports arenas throughout the country.Surely,the government could,if it so desired,create a nationwide mass transit system that would be so efficient, and safe, that many motorists would willingly leave their car keys at home. Even though places like New York City have had subway systems and mass transit for years, the streets of these cities are still jammed with automobile traffic.What I am suggesting is an even more comprehensive mass transit system. A system in which the bulk of  automobile traffic would consist of police,fire,ambulance,and city utility vehicles; a system in which the privately owned and operated automobile would be a thing of the past.

    There is no such thing as a safe automobile! After  well over 20 million deaths worldwide during the last 100 years,I think we can all agree on that.We have been brainwashed and taught to drive cars; risking our lives and our health everyday in order to insure the success and dominance of the ruling elite.We can just as easily learn how to ride a bus. I am calling on all citizens of the United States who have a brain,all 500 of you,to force the bums in office to develop efficient mass transit for every city and small town throughout the United States.This is a good project they can be working on; instead of improving their golf game, starting a war,or revising American  history for Mexican American children in Tuscon Arizona.

    I challenge the working class American citizen to see if your politicians are smart enough to look into the future. A nationwide mass transit system could be a reality in the next 20 years. Millions of lives can be saved, not to mention a cleaner, healthier environment.What are we waiting for? I have spent a portion of my lifetime in order to arrive at these valuable conclusions; most valuable because this is the path that can improve quality of life, save your life ,or the life of someone you love.What can you offer me,Gonzague,save for a stupid uninformed opinion,or an apology for evil?

    1. amiebutchko profile image69
      amiebutchkoposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      You keep me thinking, wrenchbiscuit.  I am going to post link to facebook.  Compelling thoughts, especially for parents about to teach children to drive....

      1. wrenchBiscuit profile image68
        wrenchBiscuitposted 9 years agoin reply to this

        Thanks Amie!

        A good friend of mine has a beautiful daughter who took a weekend drive through the Smokey Mountains from Syracuse N.Y. the week after  graduating High School. Two of her girl friends were killed in the head on collision. My friends daughter was left completely paralyzed from the neck down.; a prisoner for life in her own body. I do not accept that these types of accidents are unavoidable.No more than I accept that it is unavoidable that a junkie will occasionally O.D. on heroin. Thanks for reading and sharing.

        1. amiebutchko profile image69
          amiebutchkoposted 9 years agoin reply to this

          Thank you for your social consciousness.  It touches people and makes them think of things they wouldn't normally think of without prompting.  Can make a huge impact....

          1. George Abreu profile image60
            George Abreuposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            I truly am sorry to hear that. But please be careful in spreading emotion packed messages on speculation and not reason. In fact, most car companies don't want to accept that collisions are unavoidable, which is why (in addition to the several hundred already around in California) are investing in the future of driver-less cars. Since more than 90% of car accidents are human error, this change would create a bigger impact than public transit. So please, if saving lives is goal, the cheapest and most easily obtainable goal is in research and development.

            1. wrenchBiscuit profile image68
              wrenchBiscuitposted 9 years agoin reply to this

              Research and development has been going on for over 100 years.When do you think they'll be ready?
              Another 100 years perhaps? Another 20 million dead?

              1. George Abreu profile image60
                George Abreuposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                Absolutely, because of research and development, we have everything from cell phones, laptops, gaming systems, airbags (starting this year Honda motorcycles now have airbags!), delaying cancers, eliminating polio etc, etc. In fact Moore's law (that computing power doubles every two years) exists because we have been focusing more on R&D in the last 20 years than in all of history. Toyota and Google are selling the first mass market driver less car in 2017, and keep in mind that the test driverless cars, in the 8 years of research, have only gotten into 4 minor traffic accidents, all occurring because the driver overrode the computer! Amazing really.

        2. George Abreu profile image60
          George Abreuposted 9 years agoin reply to this

          Please reconsider. This is while misinformation spreads. While he might truly have a point, it is based on pure speculation and skewed data (not mention data is against his side, over 15,000 are saved by seat belts, more than 75% are saved by them than killed). Following emotion and no facts, and simplifying something incorrectly doesn't help nobody. Overpopulation in fact is not a problem, most advanced countries are having too many elderly and not enough youth to replace them, these crisis's are happening in Japan, Europe, and by 2020 the United States. We all want a better world, but manipulation and misinformation isn't going to get us there.

          1. wrenchBiscuit profile image68
            wrenchBiscuitposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            It appears that you are the master of misinformation. Go to the W.H.O. and check their figures. Over a million people will die this year as a result of traffic fatalities.Your seat belt "revelation" has no bearing on the fact the over a million are killed every year. What have you been smoking? Are you suggesting I lied about an average of 40,000 yearly U.S. fatalities? If so then I simply repeated a lie that was told by the CDC and WHO. It fascinates me that when people have nothing to say, they still have a compulsion to speak.Rave On! Thanks for reading.

            1. George Abreu profile image60
              George Abreuposted 9 years agoin reply to this

              First, I feel that whatever I say, you take as a personal attack. I'm an economist and live by numbers. I am not saying people don't die, in fact car accidents are one of the leading causes of death. But you skew the facts. For example, you are 5 times more likely to die from heart disease (America's Main killer) 4 times more likely to die from cancer, and (no kidding here) 300% more likely to die from salmonella compared to the direct numbers of car fatalities. So America's main killer (heart disease), is the most preventable one! Over all in the world millions die by vehicular manslaughter, but the numbers of the WHO, are not interpreted, meaning its reading reported traffic fatalities (which means the number is higher) but then again, relative to what? An average. Vehicles don't kill a fraction of what  (developed countries and all) heart disease kill. Lets put it in perspective, for every car death, there is (preventable might I add) 5.6 dying of heart disease. Send me a message, and I'll show all the links I use, which for example, are the very same you mentioned. CDC reports more than half of those 40,000 fatalities, were probably preventable had seat belts been used. So if your were to say anything about seat belts, it should "had more people used them, that number would have been cut in half" which of course is a good thing.

              1. psycheskinner profile image82
                psycheskinnerposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                And we can prevent heart disease without quite the same levels of unforeseen consequences as would result from, for example, doing away with private vehicles.

                I am all for encouraging use of mass transit.  But you don't scare people into ti.  You make it safe, easy and fun--and then they use it.

                1. profile image0
                  HowardBThinameposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                  That's a very good point. How many people, for example, are driven in cars to hospitals every year when the fall, have a heart attack, stroke, etc.? I don't have hard numbers, but if you've ever been in an ER for a while, you've seen all kinds of injuries come in - mostly in private cars - some by ambulance.

                  I'd hazard a guess that many more lives are saved because someone was able to go quickly to assist another person - or because that person was able to get quickly to a hospital.

                  I think this topic takes all of us by surprise because it's not like raging against fatalities from meth use, which has no positive aspect at all. It's about accidental deaths (that we're actively trying to reduce through seat belt use and speed limits) from a vehicle that plays an important role in today's world.

                  I understand trying to make cars safer. In fact, that's what manufacturers are trying to do all the time. But, I can't figure out what WrenchBiscuit thinks can be gained from railing against cars as if they were evil incarnate.

                  It just doesn't make any sense to me.

                  1. wrenchBiscuit profile image68
                    wrenchBiscuitposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                    You believe I am "all over the place" because you do not understand the many faces of evil.My words make no sense because they do not fit the illusion that you mistake for reality.Until you let go of the illusion, you will never be able to connect the dots.For instance,many of you  focus on the serial killer, or the drug kingpin, as the face of true evil. But men such as these are only tiny pissants compared to companies such as General Motors; companies that have destroyed the lives of tens of millions with impunity.Some have offered that if only people would be more careful and wear seat belts tens of thousands of lives would be saved. And? What good does that knowledge do for us? They have been telling people for over 30 years to buckle up and drive safely.And? The " and" is : And in spite of this over 40,000 people in the U.S. are "still" dying every year.Are there truly only 3 or 4 people on this Forum who can get the obvious? It's not working folks! When it's not working then we need to try a different tact.

                    This is why I made the analogy earlier about monkeys or baboons that you also didn't get or thought was irrelevant.It is very relevant.You focused on the wrong thing.You focused on the bullets and the fact the the monkey has no good use for a gun. You missed the point.The point, is that you can't explain to a monkey what a gun or a trigger is.It doesn't have the ability to understand the language and follow  safety instructions. People are the same way in many respects. Like it or not,they cannot follow safety guidelines consistently. The last 100 years has proven that.The current fatality rate is proof of that. It is a sadistic cruelty to provide any animal or human being with a device or process that will predictably cause it to suffer serious injury or death.Also,when you speak of percentages and the greater good ,it is reminiscent of the logic Josef Mengele and the Nazis used to justify experiments on children.

                    You ask for a solution? I have already offered the solution.A solution that presently exists,which is Mass Transit.As far as new technology is concerned, whatever is coming down the pike is still  not available,and so in the meantime people will continue to die.It is small consolation to the pregnant mother who will be killed next week, that in 10,15,or 20 years from now,a new technology like driverless cars might replace the automobile. I'm talking about a solution that existed yesterday.

                    And I will even break it down further for you:

                    • Each community has a budget that is used for a variety of purposes.

                    • The community makes mass transit a priority and sets aside funds to make it happen.

                    • The federal government could also provide funds for mass transit.


                    I don't know how much clearer I can be.And please, let's not get hung up on : "Where 's the money coming from!" If you look at the Defense Budget alone for the last ten years, you will see that ,yes, there are funds available.Instead of killing innocent Muslim women with drone attacks we could be using the money here to save lives.

                    I think a lot of the people in this Forum  disagree for the sake of being confrontational.None of the naysayers , which is the majority here, have offered anything of value to the conversation, which is what I expected,so I am not disappointed.Rather than attacking people who have studied and done their research, the naysayers here would be better served if they took the time to read and learn something about the world ,and how they are being used and manipulated by world governments.

                    Here they have gone; rushing headlong into the unknown to defend a system that could care less if they live or die; a system that controls them with their own greed and selfishness.Many have proven this here today.The evil of the drug dealer is an overt evil that is easy to see,but the evil I have focused on in this thread is an "insidious"form of evil, and as such,it is the worst and most destructive form of evil. It smiles at you, and provides you with a convenience and a comfortable lifestyle, while using you as a commodity; a pawn; a slave class upon whose back rests the foundation of the capitalist pyramid.

                    I don't want anyone to die needlessly before their time; not even the naysayers.The working class has the power to save millions of lives; many of which will be their own.

                    Thanks for the read.

                    1. profile image0
                      HowardBThinameposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                      Thanks for your reply. Mass transit might reduce vehicle deaths but it will also make the world harder to travel once again. Mass transit is fine for many places, such as Europe where communities are close together and one need not travel far to reach their place of work. But, here in the states - we're quite spread out. From sea to shining sea is a long distance. Even if we put passenger trains back on - they won't be able to service all the communities.

                      Then, take somebody like me. I have large trucks that carry tools and materials to jobs where people pay me to fix or remodel their houses. How would I get my tools there? My job would end - then, I'd be sitting on the corner with my handout.

                      What of those folks that don't want to give up their cars? What of the elderly couple across the street that deliver meals to other elderly shut-ins? No more Meals on Wheels? For some - that is their only meal that day.

                      In my mind - what you want is a return to yesterday - and that is physically impossible.

                      Since cars are here to stay - and I depend on my vehicles to make a living - I would not willingly give it up.

                      I have an idea. Why don't I just do what I think is right - and you do what you think is right - and let's let everyone else do what they think is right?

                      I know you are driven in this cause, but you have not made a compelling case.

                      By the way - I don't see "evil." not in drug dealers, not in car manufacturers, not in the world's abortionists or in standing armies. I see people - all living the lives they've been given to the best of their abilities. We all make mistakes but we should all get to make our own choices. That's what life is all about after all.

                    2. wilderness profile image94
                      wildernessposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                      And yet we all know that mass transit is only useful in major metropolitan areas, comprising perhaps 5% of the US.  What will LaGrande, Ore (pop10,000), Cascade, Id (pop 939) and Fort Dodge, Iowa (pop 25,000) do?  Not only are they far too small to afford mass transit, they are long distances to any nearby town of any size and also too small for consistent bus service.

                      Do the rest of the nation then just learn to walk and stay within their own city limits?  What about farmers, ranchers and those working far out from cities?  Horses to work and school, maybe?  My grandmother rode a horse to school, I guess kids today can, too, although the manure problem will require a good number of trucks and workers to remove...

                      And yes, I've already given two suggestions that will limit the death rate, here's another; require all cellphones (the majority of which have GPS already) to turn off at anything over 5 mph motion.  Or maybe indicate a message or call, but not connect; the driver now knows to pull off and answer the call.

                    3. wilderness profile image94
                      wildernessposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                      I particularly like the idea of taking the defense budget to start the project of providing mass transit everywhere in the country.  In far less time than is needed to build the system (it IS a massive undertaking, after all) the US will no long exist as a country and we won't have to worry about transportation at all.  Our new masters will do the worrying for us.

                2. George Abreu profile image60
                  George Abreuposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                  Absolutely, a bigger investment on returns, well put.

              2. wrenchBiscuit profile image68
                wrenchBiscuitposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                I swear this is my last attempt. You are missing the point. I am well aware of  the numbers on heart disease and all that you mention.But those numbers have no bearing on what I am talking about. I am talking about something that can be prevented. Something that we can control. A figure that could be greatly reduced with current technology by implementing a serious form of Mass Transit. 40,000 people in the U.S. may be a small "percentage" based on overall U.S. population. But when we consider 40,000 in human terms,it is an extremely large number.

                1. George Abreu profile image60
                  George Abreuposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                  I don't think you understand, heart disease is far more easier to prevent than almost anything else, and more than 10 times 40,000 would be saved by simple awareness. So if lives are what you care about, the heart disease is the way to go. But if you just want to spout impractical life saving way ideas, then i would guess your right.

      2. wilderness profile image94
        wildernessposted 9 years agoin reply to this

        Taken in order:

        *Because that's what people want.  In addition, any car that can maintain freeway speeds over a 6% grade or has an acceptable acceleration rate can go over 100 mph

        *Because seat belts save a great many lives each year.

        *No

        *No

        *Because the driver is the one at fault, not the manufacturer (outside of the rare defect)

        *Yes.  Lots of them in jail.

        *So they can get around where they need to go in a reasonable time frame.

        *Because it has nothing in common with the game.

        *Apparently it is - the American public WILL have it's cars.  It does not, of course, mean YOU must have one - that is your personal choice and there is no law forcing you to do so.

        1. wrenchBiscuit profile image68
          wrenchBiscuitposted 9 years agoin reply to this

          Because that's what people want? That's a real good start! There are freaks that "want" to do all sorts of heinous things to innocent people.I could care less what they want, or about their imagined "right" to hurt someone. That includes people who have been brainwashed into thinking a certain behavior or practice is "OK".

          As far as choices: During the antebellum people could choose whether or not to own a slave.But fortunately,there were decent people, of all races, who had a conscience,and who were not content to just sit idly by while others suffered.

          Jealousy is a terrible thing.I have offered information at no cost to the public that may cause someone to change their opinion about cars, and just might save someone's life, or prevent a lifetime of paralysis, or the loss of a limb. It has the potential to save millions of lives!  Since what I am offering here will not harm anyone should they follow my advice,save for a greedy capitalist concern,what other than jealousy could have motivated your comment? Consequently,since you have nothing of value to add,I will not respond to any future comments.But feel free to post your insightful opinions.It adds a nice contrast , which is beneficial.

          1. psycheskinner profile image82
            psycheskinnerposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            Jealousy?

            Okay I just lost interest in this thread because that is an absolutely bizarre conclusion to jump to just because we tried to engage in a conversation between thinking adults, rather than just bowing down before your self-assessed genius and virtue. LOL.

            1. wrenchBiscuit profile image68
              wrenchBiscuitposted 9 years agoin reply to this

              psycho,

              Lol! The "thinking adults" in your last post is precious.Thanks for that one. As far as "bowing down to my genius" I can't recall suggesting that I was.But I am flattered that you think so. Coming from you that is a great compliment.Thank You!  But I am afraid it is here that we must forever part ways. I talk to intelligent people all the time who have differing viewpoints than mine,and we have great heated debates that I enjoy.However,I enjoy them because they offer viewpoints that are interesting  and challenging. You are welcome to have the "last word"  and comment on any of my future posts,but I will not be responding; from here to eternity. Drive carefully.

              Thanks for reading.

              1. profile image0
                HowardBThinameposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                Lots of questions in the opening post but I think the bottom line is that driving cars, while a bit risky, offers us more than it takes away.

                One of the reasons we don't blame car manufacturers for fatal accidents, unless the car was truly defective, is because the vast majority of people in the US drive cars every day - safely.

                We have to weigh the value versus the risk. For most people, the value of transporting children to school, going out to eat, to the supermarket, to the doctor, visiting loved ones in other states, sending kids to college, etc. are all valuable. The risk of death or serious injury, in comparison - is very small.

                How likely is anyone you know to kill themselves this year?

                Probably pretty unlikely, and yet, more people commit suicide annually than die in car accidents. More people die from the flu and pneumonia every year. As far as accidents go - you're three times more likely to die in an unrelated accident than you are to die in a car - annually.

                That said - we do need to come down on car manufacturers when they produce a faulty vehicle that results in failure and accidents.

                It's an ongoing process. We have to decide how much freedom of choice we're willing to give up for a little added security.

                Cars can be dangerous in untrained hands - or when an inebriated driver/texting driver/putting on makeup driver is behind the wheel.

                But the true test of the safety of a car is determined by whether it performs up to safety standards when it is operated by a qualified driver. Like the old saying goes - it's not the car - it's the nut behind the wheel.

                Most often at any rate.

          2. wilderness profile image94
            wildernessposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            Sorry, you've shown nothing to be jealous of.  A hatred of inanimate objects (cars) is not something I obsess over.

            Nor have you offered any fixes, except to do away with cars; in my area that means horses for transportation and very few of us can afford that.  Starvation is the result as transportation is necessary in America today and most areas cannot afford mass transportation of any kind.  So your "fix" to the death toll is to starve people to death.

      3. steve8miller profile image64
        steve8millerposted 9 years agoin reply to this

        I like how you think here. You dig deep rather than just accepting the status quo.

        1. wrenchBiscuit profile image68
          wrenchBiscuitposted 9 years agoin reply to this

          Thanks steve8,
          Much appreciated.Thanks for reading.

      4. rhamson profile image71
        rhamsonposted 9 years agoin reply to this

        Your post seems to indicate that personal responsibility is not in the mix. Isn't it just safer to remain home rather than expose yourself to such serious accidents and blunders by others should be what you ask yourself. Life is a risk and a great many people do not fall victim to the serious acts you wish us all to avoid by not participating in the world.

        1. wrenchBiscuit profile image68
          wrenchBiscuitposted 9 years agoin reply to this

          This is the point that I am making : A majority of the public has been brainwashed into thinking that car  fatalities and so-called accidents are an unavoidable fact of life.This is totally false.Old age is an unavoidable fact of life.Falling down and skinning your knee is unavoidable.But getting eaten alive by someone's pet Tiger; the one that just happened to be hanging out in their front yard as you went walking by, is most certainly avoidable.This why it's illegal to have a pet Tiger running loose in your front yard.To avoid the avoidable! It is an absurd analogy, but it fits the absurd notion that we cannot exist without cars.

          The idea that the motorist bears the greatest  responsibility for traffic safety is a popular myth that has been spoon fed to the public for at least the last 75 years. Would you hold a baboon accountable for shooting himself in the head with a loaded gun that you placed in his hand. Or a small child? When you put a large amount of human beings on highways across the entire continent, and on every city street in America,and then say ready,set, go,it is predictable that a certain percentage will die every year and that a certain percentage will be seriously and permanently injured.Contrary to our vanity and arrogance,we are not Gods,we are a creative animal,but still yet an animal, and there are devices and processes that our species is either not designed for, or at least, certainly not ready for.

          When you place an animal in a particular situation ; a situation that  has the potential to seriously harm or even kill the animal, you are demonstrating a sadistic indifference to the creature. What can be said, or understood about world governments that have allowed not one,but over 20 million human beings to be killed; and counting.If this is not sadistic butchery then such a thing never existed.Perhaps the general populace doesn't know any better,but I assure you,I am not so unique! If I know these things,and if I can explain this as I have,it follows that the ruling elite,the capitalists,and the bankers have known of this evil long before I was born.

          What world governments,Henry Ford, and the other pioneers of the auto-industry have done, will in future times be viewed as a crime against humanity, and against nature. It has been proven that , in a manner of speaking, the automobile is not safe for human consumption.Personal responsibility be damned.How many millions more must die before we finally accept the truth. What I am suggesting has never been attempted,and never will be as long as the ruling elite controls the hearts and minds of the working class. The world wide death toll over the last 100 years provides empirical evidence that my argument is sound, and based on fact,rather than pure emotion.But yes,my emotion is driven by the facts.On the other hand,Mass Transit on the scale I am suggesting has yet to be tested, consequently,there is no evidence to suggest that nationwide Mass Transit "would not" significantly reduce the death toll, as well as auto related injuries.Common sense,and simple deductive reasoning tells us that it would.Isn't one human life worth more than the convenience of a car? I believe it is.Isn't one human life worth the inconvenience of changing our habits? I believe it is.

          After 100 years we must understand that traffic safety programs,defensive driving courses,seat belts, and anti-drunk driving campaigns simply do not work. Not unless you find 40,000 yearly fatalities an acceptable figure.I do not find "one " unnecessary fatality acceptable.That one fatality could be someone I love ,and even if not,the victim will certainly belong to someone,and that one preventable tragedy can destroy and cast a shadow over many,many lives. The widespread acceptance and usage of the automobile is probably "the" greatest example of how mind control can be effectively implemented on a world wide scale, and how quickly the populace of an entire planet can be infected with an illusion; an illusion that kills.  I hope this has helped you to understand my perspective.Thanks for reading.

          1. wilderness profile image94
            wildernessposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            "A majority of the public has been brainwashed into thinking that car  fatalities and so-called accidents are an unavoidable fact of life.This is totally false."

            "I do not find "one " unnecessary fatality acceptable."

            Do you have a solution?  One that will work in the real world and not the fantasy one where you imagine that mass transport is the answer to the farm truck carrying grain to the market?  Heinleins rolling roads won't work, Niven's teleportation pads won't work, buses, trains and planes won't work.  Not in the real world we all live in - what do you suggest?

          2. rhamson profile image71
            rhamsonposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            .....It has been proven that , in a manner of speaking, the automobile is not safe for human consumption. Personal responsibility be damned .how many millions more must die before we finally accept the truth.

            If we were to follow this train of thought walking is bad for the knees because it wears away cartilage in the joint. Looking into the sun can make you go blind. Eating sugar can cause diabetes. So in keeping with your solution we should make use of motorized wheelchairs whenever possible, blow up the Sun and outlaw the production of sugar so that these things can no longer offer a risk of injury to people.

            My friend the answer is to educate those that would abuse the privilege of driving a car and remove their ability to operate one if necessary and have the rest of us become more aware of our habits. Maybe an insurance reduction would go a long way in helping it along.

      5. profile image0
        HowardBThinameposted 9 years agoin reply to this

        "• Why do most cars have the capability of going in excess over 100 mph?"

        I'm not sure, but they don't go that fast unless someone intentionally presses on the gas pedal. Without a human - their top speed is zero miles an hour.

        "• Why does the government insist on seat belts when 40,000 are still dying every year,in the U.S. alone?"

        My guess is because insurance companies have lobbied Congress to get that law passed because tests show that wearing a seatbelt saves lives in some types of crashes.

        "• Would you allow a monkey or baboon to play with an assault rifle?
        • Would you allow a 5 year old child and his friends to play with a loaded automatic weapon?"


        Of course not to both questions. But these questions are not relevant because the weapons noted are of no use to the subjects, whereas, a car is very valuable to its subjects.

        "• Why do we focus blame on the person who caused the accident, but not also the person who put the dangerous weapon in their hand: Manufacturers, car dealers,etc.?"

        I think the first sentence of this question is the answer - because the person "caused the accident." Cars don't have the ability (yet) to drive themselves, although that capability is just around the corner.

        "• Why do you buy an automobile for your children when you know it can kill or cripple them for life?"

        Because, when the child is trained in driving and road rules, the car offers much more - value-wise - than the small risk it presents to the child. The vast majority of people who drive - do not perish behind the wheel of a car. Teens must pass knowledge and driving tests before getting a license. We do our best to reduce risk by implementing a system of ticketing infractions and eventually even taking away driving privledges if the driver is not obeying the rules. Teens who don't have access to a car are less likely to die in one certainly, but they are also less likely to experience all the world has to offer.

        "• Why does the average citizen not equate driving a car with Russian Roulette?"

        Because the two have virtually nothing in common. With Russian Roulette - you have a 1 in 6 chance of dying if you pull the trigger only ONE time. The odds of you dying in an auto accident in an entire year period is 1 in 17,000.  The two are not even comparable.

        http://www.riskcomm.com/visualaids/risk … ources.php

        "• Is your convenience worth the cost of 40,000 lives this year in the United States?"

        Were is *just* convencience, I might say no. But it's not. It's freedom and the ability to live a fuller, richer life because you're not suck on the farm like your ancestors were.

        To put it in perspective, a pregnant woman in North America is more likely to die in childbirth than she is to die in a car accident. Yet - we're probably not going to quit having babies anytime soon.

    2. psycheskinner profile image82
      psycheskinnerposted 9 years ago

      There is not such thing as safe mass transit either.  Not just in terms of accidents and disasters  but attacks that occur walking to and using it.

      1. wrenchBiscuit profile image68
        wrenchBiscuitposted 9 years agoin reply to this

        I am well aware that people die in buses and on trains.The idea is to minimize fatalities and injuries.Euell Gibbons who wrote books on how to eat natural and healthy died at a relatively young age.With that in mind,following your logic,what's the point of eating healthy? We should just all hang out at McDonalds cause we're gonna die anyway.Right? If you have a better idea on how to prevent 40,000 fatalities every year, please share it with the world.

        1. wilderness profile image94
          wildernessposted 9 years agoin reply to this

          #1 answer is to slow down.  Look at traffic death graphs in the mid 70's, when the speed limit dropped to 55 country wide.  People hated it, and it eventually came back up, but it did save lives.

          Our cars are far safer than they used to be; there have been massive improvements from tire longevity to crumple zones but people still die.  Slow down and more people will live.

          The #2 answer is probably to convince drivers to pay attention to their task.  Probably the safest road in the world is the autobahn in Germany with it's unlimited speed.  People driving it, though, pay attention.  They don't eat, they don't text, they don't have a phone plastered to their head.  They drive.  And live through it.  So convince people to put the phone in the trunk, leave the food outside and concentrate on herding those thousands of pounds of steel down the road instead of playing games with their lives.

        2. psycheskinner profile image82
          psycheskinnerposted 9 years agoin reply to this

          If you are aware of the relative risk you did not demonstrate it in your post.  For example you did not admit that not all those lives would be saved, or even what proportion. You did not discuss which people would be safer using public transit and which would actually be safer using their own car.  If I had a daughter working a late shift downtown, I would advise her to drive car. As a full time pedestrian I take my life in my hands every day.

    3. wrenchBiscuit profile image68
      wrenchBiscuitposted 9 years ago

      2 1/4 sticks butter, room temperature
      3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
      2 eggs
      3 3/4 cups flour
      1/4 teaspoon salt
      1/2 cup heavy cream
      8 ounces white chocolate, chopped
      1/2 teaspoon vanilla
      Zest from one lemon
      2 cups Mascarpone cheese
      2 pints fresh berries

    4. wrenchBiscuit profile image68
      wrenchBiscuitposted 9 years ago

      Howard,

      And so, you have verified what I have already suggested: that a majority of Americans,  and people throughout the world, have been made to accept, and even defend the automobile through conditioning; conditioning through attrition, at the direction of  state authorities; believing that it is they themselves who choose to take the unnecessary, and dangerous risk of driving an automobile.

      You have  decided that 40,000 yearly traffic fatalities in the U.S. plus a yearly worldwide total in excess of one million, is acceptable; simply the cost of doing business. Neither do you show any concern that globally, automobile fatality rates are on the increase. This has been verified by the "World Health Organization".

      You have reduced the human being to an abstract statistic.This is evident when you suggest," more people die from the flu and pneumonia every year".I suggest to you that throughout the history of the world, more people have died of infectious diseases and sickness than have died in Nazi concentration camps. If we follow your logic, then we must understand that  the Jewish Holocaust was really not such a big deal after all. Your logic also suggests that we need not worry  about missing and exploited children,since more people die of heart attacks each year.

      You say the automobile " offers more than it takes away" and so you have clearly indicated that the millions of dead and injured are a small price to pay for your convenience. Apparently,your weekend social outings, and trips to the supermarket, warrant the millions of human beings who now sit paralyzed from the neck down; human beings who will spend the remainder of their lives looking out of a window, and remembering what it was like to be alive.Apparently,your need and lust for mobility warrants the millions who will spend next weekend visiting a graveyard, and speaking to a stone.

      You have also stated,"How likely is anyone you know to kill themselves this year?" This statement says a lot about America. This has always been the prevalent American attitude:" If it ain't happening to me or mine, why should I worry about it?" This attitude is the reason slavery in America lasted nearly 400 years.This attitude is why European settlers and immigrants accepted the murder of  the Indigenous by the  millions, during the European Invasion.They accepted the theft of our lands because they stood to profit and gain through our misery and dispossession. Your attitude clearly explains why a majority of Americans have never heard of Diego Garcia, or the heinous act of imperialist aggression by the United States that destroyed this island nation in 1966.

      Whether you know it or not,you are an apologist for evil.In your world, the value of convenience and comfort exceeds the value of a human life.You have offered your opinions but your arguments are weak,cliched, and predictable. Your argument accepts and defends evil.Furthermore, sickness and infectious diseases, historically speaking,are not man made. Consequently, we have little  or no control over when and where a sickness or disease may strike. However,the automobile is a man made contrivance,thus automobile fatalities are predictable, and have always been avoidable. Your comparison between natural sickness, and the automobile, reveals that you are a stranger to serious debate.But I have found that, at least here on Hubpages, you are in good company.

      Many have claimed that America is a nation founded on Christian principles.But this is clearly an illusion. Jesus did not look upon the leper and say,"Why should I bother with you! You will die soon anyway". Jesus did not look upon the woman who committed adultery and say," You brought this upon yourself, and so now you must suffer the consequences." No, America is not a Christian nation.This is a nation of selfish,greedy, people, who  have sacrificed their own children on an altar of materialism.

      Although I appreciate the attention you have given to my article, please understand that I have not written this long winded response in an attempt to change your mind,or the  mind of anyone else who accepts the status quo. I have only labored here to help  others who are beginning to awaken from a deep sleep; to encourage them ; to give them confidence  that  what they are beginning to feel is real, and tangible; not only a figment of their imagination,or the product of wishful thinking .

      The days of evil here in America, and throughout the world are coming to an end.Soon,the greedy and the selfish will have no place to lay their head; no longer able to hide their true countenance and intention behind flesh and bone,their freakish,disfigured forms of evil, will be clearly revealed in the light of day.They say that it is not over until the fat lady sings ... and so ... let me introduce myself ... I am the one who is writing the song.

      Osiyo!

      1. profile image0
        HowardBThinameposted 9 years agoin reply to this

        WB, I’m not sure how to respond to your posting. If I didn’t know better – I’d think you started this thread as an assignment in a psyche class – just to see how folks respond to perceived outrage over something where there’s nothing substantial to be outraged about.

        You’ve drawn a lot of false equivalences here. Comparing the relatively low risk of vehicular death to slavery? Really? Then, you make false accusations, insinuating that anyone that doesn’t jump on your bandwagon somehow doesn’t care about people who’ve been in accidents. That’s an incredible leap of the mind.

        You’ve thrown in the Holocaust, Nazi concentration camps, plagues, the invasion of Europe and the settling of the United States. To top it off – you drop Diego Garcia’s name in an attempt to equate not agreeing with you to acts of US aggression.

        Seriously, you’re all over the place, dude.

        This entire debate comes down to one simple equation – Does the benefit society gleans from the automobile outweigh the risk to individuals from accidents?  That’s it – that’s the whole ball of wax right there.

        And the answer is – Of course.

        Automobile ownership, once reserved for society’s elite, is now commonplace and even the poorest can usually scrape up enough to buy a used one. That’s a great equalizer, because it gives the less fortunate the means to travel and compete with the wealthier people in our society.

        Unlike mass transportation – cars offer  independence and freedom. They allow us to reach farther than we once could to get better jobs, relocate and enrich our lives. You say that’s “convenience” but you couldn’t be more wrong. That’s freedom and progress.

        As an atheist I really don’t know what to make of your lecture on Christianity, which is also way off in Left field when it comes to this debate. I don’t see your “days of evil” and I don’t think that blaming the auto industry for drinking and driving is a step forward. I think it’s a paralyzing thought.

        You’ve not given us your alternative yet. What is your plan? Tell me something that allows me to see that you have a workable option for people that doesn’t include shoving us back to the Dark Ages? I fear that you would enslave people in order to get your way.

        What would you do? How would you solve this thing you see as a problem? That’s really what’s at issue here. Do you have a solution in mind? Or, are you just satisfied to be outraged about something without offering any semblance of a solution?

    5. psycheskinner profile image82
      psycheskinnerposted 9 years ago

      We are at the beginning of cars driving under a kind of autopilot. That would eliminate a hug number of driver error accidents.  In fact it blurs the lines between cars and mass transit altogether.

     
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