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[+] 101 points 6 months ago (5 children)
  • [–] 75 points 6 months ago (4 children)

    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.

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  • [–] 14 points 6 months ago* (3 children)

    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

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  • [–] 3 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    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.

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  • Agreed, they probably are cheap garbage (I myself don't know, I haven't driven cars regularly in a while), but two things:

    1. 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.

    2. 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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  • [–] 42 points 6 months ago (4 children)

    How do you do, fellow non-Americans!? Colour me gobsmacked at the euros I'm paying when I procure my petrol (by the liter! this is non-negotiable) to fill my tiny aluminium moped.

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  • [–] 8 points 6 months ago*

    Actual weekly gas spending as a household budget item is probably higher in the US on average.

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  • [–] 9 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    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.

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  • [–] 7 points 6 months ago (2 children)

    It's bad for us both and arguing about who has it worse is childish and stupid

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  • [–] 8 points 6 months ago

    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.

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  • [–] 7 points 6 months ago

    Good thing my quality of life went down to protect checks notes baby eating pedofiles? OK...

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  • [–] 5 points 6 months ago

    Me with my tiny range electric car finally being smug about something.

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  • [–] 5 points 6 months ago*

    To paraphrase Bill Nye, eye protection on; if you raise the cost of fossil fuels, fewer people will use them; eye protection off.

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  • [–] 5 points 6 months ago

    I don't generally complain to Europeans about anything at all.

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  • [–] 9 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    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.

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  • [–] 11 points 6 months ago

    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.

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  • I have to drive 32 miles (~51 km) one way to my job and there is no public transit anywhere around here.

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  • [–] 7 points 6 months ago (2 children)

    Ill complain about whatever I want, fuck you

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  • [–] 2 points 6 months ago (3 children)

    My bike doesn't take gas, and (for now) my bus pass costs the same as it did before my government's latest bout of war crimes in Iran started.

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  • [–] 6 points 6 months ago (2 children)

    your bike does take gas. has your grocery bill seemed to have gotten bigger?

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  • [–] 3 points 6 months ago

    Fair enough, but I have some bike fuel reserves under my epidermis that I was hoping to unload anyway.

    In all seriousness, this is a bad situation for everyone. But I still consider myself lucky to have a car free life right now.

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  • [–] 2 points 6 months ago

    I want fossil fuels extinct, for the second time.

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  • [–] 16 points 6 months ago (36 children)

    Europeans don't have to drive to survive the way most Americans do.

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  • [–] 39 points 6 months ago (5 children)

    Depends. In cities no. In rural areas or small villages, often yes.

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  • [–] 2 points 6 months ago (4 children)

    But then that goes for America too.

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  • [–] 4 points 6 months ago* (2 children)

    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.

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  • [–] 2 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    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.

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  • [–] 1 point 6 months ago

    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.

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  • [–] 8 points 6 months ago (4 children)

    There are more European countries than the Netherlands.

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  • [–] 4 points 6 months ago (16 children)

    Oh no, if it isn't the consequences of everyone's collective actions

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  • [+] -11 points 6 months ago (14 children)
  • [–] 40 points 6 months ago (6 children)

    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.

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  • [+] -13 points 6 months ago* (5 children)

    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.

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  • [–] 44 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (2 children)

    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

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  • [–] 8 points 6 months ago* (1 child)

    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.

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  • [–] 2 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    Maybe vote for somebody who will give you better public transport and cycling infrastructure.

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  • [–] 0 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

    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.

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  • [–] 19 points 6 months ago (4 children)

    Living in a country under laws written by oil corporations, in cities whose public transportation was privatized and destroyed by car manufacturers.

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  • [+] -10 points 6 months ago* (1 child)
  • [–] 9 points 6 months ago*

    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.

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  • [–] 5 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    Americans drive more so pay more, even when prices are higher in Europe

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  • [–] 4 points 6 months ago (8 children)

    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

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  • [–] 4 points 6 months ago (3 children)

    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.

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  • [–] 3 points 6 months ago (2 children)

    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

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  • [–] 2 points 6 months ago

    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.

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  • [–] 1 point 6 months ago

    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.

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  • [–] 4 points 6 months ago (3 children)

    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.

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  • [–] 1 point 6 months ago (2 children)

    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

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  • [–] 2 points 6 months ago

    Which of the gases are European's paying more than Americans? Is it Argon? Don't they know it's stored in the bulbs? It's basically free.

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  • [–] 1 point 6 months ago

    i wanna punch him

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  • [–] 1 point 6 months ago

    1,84 cad/L out here.

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  • [–] 0 points 6 months ago

    Maybe Europe should do something about it instead of getting on their knees for trump

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