Guest Post by Eric Peters
Within 12 years, only 5 percent of the driving done in this country will be done by “autonomous” drivers – according to a study that is getting huge play all over the mediascape.
That is to say, only 5 percent of the driving will be done by people like you and me – ordinary people going where we like, when we like and controlling the car ourselves.
That is autonomy.
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Sans the air quotes.
Not this Orwellian doublespeak about cars programmed by others and so controlled by others and which drive themselves without our input and which are subject to outside intervention contrary to our own wishes being characterized by the media as – ahem – “autonomous.”
That’s an inversion right up there with the “patriot” act – and Social Security “contributions.”
Anyhow, we are assured by an outfit called RethinkX – which styles itself a “think tank” but which I’ve never heard of (and I’ve been a working journalist covering policy issues for more than 25 years now) that the stampede to turn over our keys and give up our driving autonomy is both organic and inevitable. That within a dozen years, only a tiny minority of desperadoes will still operate their cars themselves – assuming of course they are still allowed to do so.
I am not buying it. The organic and inevitable part.
I smell a rat.
The shove – much more than the loathsome “progressive” egghead authoritarian Cass Sunstein’s infamous nudge – toward cars driven by others-than-us is too obviously artificial. This study smacks of propaganda. It appears intended to create the aura of inevitability and the impression that to “cling” to our old truly self-driving (by ourselves) ways is sad and pathetic, like the Amish and their horse-drawn buggies.
It also mentions not a word about the real reasons why people are becoming disillusioned with both driving and owning cars – the expense and hassle. Both creations of government – its endless rules, fees and mandates. The first creeping and now galloping nannyism, always in the name of saaaaaaaaaaaaaafety.
Which of course, so-called “autonomous” cars will enshrine – much as the GOP has cemented the “role” of government in the micromanagement of our health by replacing rather than repealing Obamacare.
I’ve seen this Mexican donkey show before.
I am betting the RethinkX study is funded by interests interested in pushing us into cars that drive us most un-autonomously. This has been the goal – explicitly stated – of certain interests since at least the time of Ralph Nader’s ascendance and gaining traction inexorably. It is the dream of those who would trample what may be the last truly free thing left to us – even if only intermittently.
Our cars.
Which is to say, our mobility.
Controllers loathe the random coming and going of people free of their control.
Most especially in a car owned by them – and not rented by the hour (the other shove/nudge behind all this; there is huge money to be made by shove/nudging people to pay by the hour – via Lyft and Maven and so on – rather than to buy and own a car).
In a driven-by-us car, we can drive as fast as we wish – assuming no armed government workers in the vicinity. The joy of acceleration – as much as we like, as fast as we dare. To not be part of a collective, a herd. To go our own way.
From a certain point-of-view, this is as outrageous as the pre-income tax days.
What is wanted is an income tax version of transportation.
Just as we are allowed to earn money – but only under certain conditions, and required to report every detail of every transaction to the government, which thus controls both our earnings and how we are allowed to earn them.
Control. That is the thing here – and the dupes affirming the desirability of “autonomous” (sic) cars are exactly that because they are basing their eye-batting affirmations on the delusional belief that the cars will, in fact, be autonomous – that is, still under their control.
But they will find – perhaps to their dismay – that in fact they have become like customers of the IRS.
Their autonomous car may take them where they ask it to take them – but it will take them there as it sees fit. That is to say, as those who program and control them see fit. It will not accelerate faster than they see fit. It will not take a corner at a speed you might find entertaining.There will be no flooring it – and getting around the four-wheeled-herd.
It will maintain a “safe” posture at all times – and you will have no say whatever in the matter.
To believe that it will be otherwise is a risible as the belief, 100 years ago, that the income tax would only be levied upon the rich.
Once they have the means to control us – and have established the principle that they ought to have the authority to control us – expecting them not to avail themselves of those means and to use that authority is far more pathetic than the Amish and their horse-drawn buggies.
Which, by the way, actually are autonomous.
Imagine that.
Self driving cars? Not here in Minnesota where there can be snow / ice 6 months a year.
The whole deal is Uber is chomping at the bit to get driverless cars so they can eliminate their drivers, and make a shit load of money by paying no wages. Same for the trucking companies.
The other thing, what about liability, in the case of an accident.
You will go to corporate court, and, if you don’t care for the
decision? They will zap you dead. You become dog food for
profit. Sweet.
If only 5% is going to be done by individual drivers in 12 years what are we going to do with the 95% of vehicles currently needing drivers operating them?
I’m thinking there may be a great fortune to be made in salvage over the next 12 years, after all that is an awful lot of vehicles that will need to be disposed of.
You are on the right track about TPTB wanting to abolish God and private property; to make private cars, homes, traditional families and Christianity onerous. They are providing cash to city planners to utilize all open areas, to bulldoze parking lots and parking buildings and build new rental apartments; to reduce four lanes to two, provide public transit or some cheap rental autonomous car or bike. They want to produce a generation that demands security and safety; never owns a car, a house and yard, a gun, have an original thought, want a traditional family, a good job or to honor God, the Constitution and our Country.
NONE of this could be possible without the violence of government and their control over our lives. NO private company, operating in a truly free market, in a truly free society, would EVER be able to impose such restrictions on individual liberty and freedom.
“NONE of this could be possible without the violence of government and their control over our lives.”
Perfect, and 100%
Good observations. I’ve noticed the inevitability narrative surrounding computer piloted vehicles too and it is an important part of the propaganda. It drives me crazy.
My first issue really is that not one single dollar spent developing these vehicles should come from US taxpayers. If these vehicles are going to be so wonderful then they should be developed at the expense of the corporations that will ultimately receive the profits from them. Obama promised over a million tax dollars a day for the next ten years to help make these vehicles a reality. As far as I know President Trump hasn’t put a stop to that waste of money.
Just watch, if it does ever get to 5% human controlled vehicles we will be shown hit pieces on the news every single time there is a fatal crash by a human pilot (unless of course it’s an illegal alien). If a computer controlled car has a “404 Error” moment and mows down some pedestrians we won’t hear a peep.
Plus we are going to be sold how great the technology is then they will tell us something insane like that we need to repaint all of the lines in the roads of the entire country with special paint that the cars can detect when it rains. Very expensive paint sprayed at Davis-Bacon wages. Or taxpayers will need to fund some kind of gigantic Wifi network to make this “inevitable” technology actually work.
Don’t forget the non integration tax that will be coming for all cars that are not capible of communicating with the cars in traffic around them. Oh shit. I shouldn’t give Jerry Brown any ideas.
@Mesomorph: “Plus we are going to be sold how great the technology is then they will tell us something insane like that we need to repaint all of the lines in the roads of the entire country with special paint that the cars can detect when it rains. Very expensive paint sprayed at Davis-Bacon wages. Or taxpayers will need to fund some kind of gigantic Wifi network to make this “inevitable” technology actually work.
Don’t forget the non integration tax that will be coming for all cars that are not capible of communicating with the cars in traffic around them. Oh shit. I shouldn’t give Jerry Brown any ideas.”
Great post. Also they can pass laws. Here in Minnesota they have passed a law that buses can use the shoulder, and cars must yield to buses when they are wanting to change lanes or when pulling away from the curb!
Geez Dutch,
That law is in effect in Wisconsin…has been forever.
Do not mess with a bus.
Why isn’t it “against the law” to drive and be texting?
The self driving cars are for people that text 18h/d,
which apparently is a solid addiction.
Too late. Moonbeam (Caltrans, actually) is already reviewing the use of “Botts Dots” in the future. Ostensibly because of an increasing population of older drivers who don’t see as well at night. Better reflective or luminescent lane markers will help out the oldsters, you see. Eliminating them because all the “self driving” technology can’t see them is just a side benefit (to the technology makers).
I really like Eric’s stuff. Can’t hate the state enough to shock me. But it’s good to be reminded that the auto market has been federally goosed for decades, from oil pirates muscling out electric cars and public transportation early in the 20th century to Eisenhower getting a sore ass before the war driving cross country without ‘adequate’ highways and starting the interstate system. Both distorted the market. Had Eisenhower stuck to golf and let the market decide what’s ‘adequate’ the landscape might look much different. Almost certainly some interstate like highways would have been built but what else? More train traffic? River/canal travel? Flying cars? Individual flying devises? More and better city living rather than suburbia? We’ll never know but damn sure better and more efficient than what some self important bureaucrat could dream up.
The question is whether or not compulsion and the wrath of the state will decide who rides and who drives. I want to be able to do both.
@CCrider: “driving cross country without ‘adequate’ highways and starting the interstate system. Both distorted the market.”
I don’t know how old you are, I’m 68, from Pennsylvania. PA was one of the first states to have a turnpike (1930), it was a great innovation.
The reason AAA existed was because they gave you maps. Say you wanted to drive from Philly to Bean Town. You needed a map for each state. There were no consistent road numbers, some were US highways, state highways, and country roads. There would be 2 – 3 – 4 signs with different highway numbers, and there were always detours. Plus the roads were at best 2 lane blacktops. The Interstate system is the best thing to happen to driving.
“More and better city living rather than suburbia? ”
What bullshit. Apartment living has no comparison to living in a home.
I lived in PA for 15 years and the highway system there sucks worse than anywhere else I’ve ever seen. From the dilapidated PA TPK with it’s stinking food/gas stops and the Shur kill expressway parking lot to the black and blue route. Pa is a great example of the hgy system run by the state that SUCKS.
I could understand why you’d be adverse to city living with shit holes like Reading, Allentown and the ass crack of the universe, Philly.
My point is that I don’t need gov’t at all. But obviously you do. Good luck.
I grew up in PA. When I left in 1971 is when the whole ‘rust belt’ thingy started. And I’ll agree that the roads now are awful.
The Puerto Rican’s ruined Allentown and Reading. The niggers ruined Philly a long time ago. I’d never go back.
A home in the country Dutch, with neighbors up the road
apiece, is the best.
good question.
CC, and you know the answer. The state wants to suck our
brains out and fill our heads with an electronic device.
The main media channels and the schools are corrupted. As such, 99% of the population is blind as to what is going on. In simple terms, what is going on is neofeudalism. The owners of the corporations are the new kings and the serfs/employees work the jobs on the corporate plantation.
As an engineer in the business of designing and building infrastructure, I’ve been forced to learn a lot about autonomous vehicles lately. While Eric covers the Orwellian aspects of government oversight of our movements pretty well, some other fallout, both good and from autonomous vehicles will occur.
The Good:
– Granny will be able to live independently and not drive. Making the world safer for all the other drivers.
– Public transit will be devastated. Why take the bus with all the smelly weirdos when you can order your own private vehicle to take you to the store or work.
– Massive parking lots will no longer be needed.
– A family will not need as many private cars.
The Bad:
– Traffic will increase 40-60%. Government can’t fund the roads we have now, how are they going to build the additional capacity needed for all the new trips.
– The government will know everywhere you go.
– You will not get any place fast.
Fortunately, the last place autonomous vehicles will be implemented is in the exurbs and countryside. Where people are spread out, the math for autonomous vehicles doesn’t work. So if you hate the idea of autonomous vehicles, don’t live in the city.
Omg are you fucking kidding me 12 years for 90% penetration of AV
Ground level here is why.
The infrastrcture and more importantly the Repair System can not handle this and the public will not pay for it.
I will ass u me that any vehicle owner of more than 5 years has had an alignment done. Most have this done during tire purchase or is a part is replaced. I have done 1 less than a million alignments. Maybe 1 more than a million ai donno. A few weeks ago we had an alignment on a 2016 Toyota. It had Lane Departure and Blind Spot notification.
To properly align this jewel REQUiRES a dealer level scan tool and somebody that knows what they are doing. The blind spot cameras need to be snyncronized and the whole thing took 2 hours. We are not going to do that for $73.95
Fuel injection as a system stood side by side carbs for 41 years before carbs as a fuel system were dropped from new cars and trucks. To say self driving cars are more complex than MPFI is like saying a rowboat is more complex than a cruise ship. It is hard enough getting repair shops to do basic level programming ( cough cough window switch gm 2008 cough ) I can imagine when someone takes a 2016 camry to Tire Discounters. Hahahahahhahahahanahahanana
Turning us into the Eloi….
Sorry, not buying it. At least not until the BBers all die out. Remember we were raised on gasoline fumes, to wit: SS396, Hemi, Charger, Corvette, Mustang, Malibu, Tbird..do I make my point.
We’re not giving up the freedom of movement THAT easily!
The younger generation don’t even seem to want cars. Thanks Prog Educators. That’s how it will happen, when the last BB trades his Vette for a Lark. Not the Studebaker Lark either. The geeze scooter. But he’ll still have his Hemis.
Self-driving car? Just install an off switch, and away I go!
I read a great article explaining that the growth of self-driving vehicles will be hampered for decades, and ultimately have limited uses because they will be programmed to obey traffic laws at all times. This will cause numerous accidents, general chaos and endless lawsuits as they come into conflict with all the ‘autonomous’ law-benders driving around!
Let’s all set a goal to turn TPTB into TPTUTB — the powers that used to be.
Such utter nonsense. In 12 years 50% of the cars on the road will be cars that exist TODAY. It is therefore flat out false on its face. And if we have another serious economic contraction, that number rises to 60 maybe even 70%. And who the hell wants to pay $3, 4, or 5 grand to have a frickin car drive itself? It’s frickin retarded. I am supposed to get up and go to work for 200 or 300 HOURS just to earn the money to pay extra for a machine to do one of the simplest and easiest tasks I do in an average day? It’s a goddam outrage that people think that is even remotely tenable. My prediction: in 12 years, 8% of cars will be fully autonomous. And 8% of them will be vandalized by the masses of angry unemployed victims of this stupefied economy run by idiots and parasites.