Comment by gmerc
16 hours ago
Germany is distracted with its version of “the gun debate” aka speed limits.
Like every school shooting, every energy crisis brings opportunity to saturate the airwaves with shallow noise that gets people overly upset and they’ll ignore everything else.
Every player on both sides is abusing this mechanic for all eternity.
I think this view is too reductionist, as people can (and usually do) debate more than one topic at a time. The problem is that technological dependence isn't gaining enough precaution when commodity products are being discussed.
What worries me is that it's a real global problem in all of our non-autocratic societies. On a positive note, I can see how this is actually becoming a common understanding and gaining traction, as hyped AI products are seen by some as 3rd-party- or SaaS-killers. It seems like we know how to differentiate between independence and dependence, and evaluate any risks affiliated with such a decision. But it baffles me that this differentiation manages to float as some ironic stream in our Zeitgeist, and just barely manages to be taken seriously.
Nobody is seriously discussing speed limits right now ...
all speed limits in highways are stupid. It should be follow distance enforcement instead.
Single-vehicle accidents exist.
Imagine we had real democracy where people vote on issues. Speed limits? Vote once every 7 years or so on it and be done with it. Same for abortion laws, drug laws, gambling laws. Have a debate, vote, come back to it in 7 years if there is public interest. Preferably vote locally on issues that can be applied locally (like speed limits/enforcement etc.).
Public debate and assessing politicians and parties would be so much cleaner then if they couldn't use polarizing issues to rally their support and do w/e they please on all other issues.
Popular vote would have made sure civil rights legislation never passed and everything down to the schools and bathrooms would still be segregated.
I think you are wrong but it's hard to guess what would would happen in the past. Meanwhile a lot of unpopular policies are implemented right now.
You are hoping "good minority" will get its way ahead of "evil majority" in indirect democracy but if anything I see the reverse happening in a lot of Western countries today.
What German civil rights legislation are you referring to?
As a Swiss all I can say is that this is not how that would work out. Some of the most polarising statements I have ever heard come from Swiss politicians.
Although it is a more recent development since a certain billionaire (what else) took up politics as a side hustle.
I would hate to live in that political system. Just imagining the ways it would be gamed and the billionaire press would leverage these votes makes me shudder.
So far the best modern improvement I’ve seen (and it could be further improved of course) is the increasing use of citizens assemblies.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens%27_assembly
I find it much easier to live with a decision knowing people around me made it. As it is the strongest lobby wins which usually doesn't contain me. In a world where people vote on issues I can at least move to somewhere where people think like me.
Taking speed limits and road safety in general as example I feel vocal minority of car enthusiasts are holding the silent majority hostage and that's the reason we don't have more sensible regulation in a lot of EU countries.
> every energy crisis brings opportunity to saturate the airwaves with shallow noise that gets people overly upset and they’ll ignore everything else.
At least their version has an obvious solution: Make electric cars and solar panels and then stop having oil problems.
The speeding debate won't go away with this, though, as speeding is not about oil.
I believe the idea is that friction and resistance is proportional to the square of the speed. After a certain speed, every 10 mph extra starts to really count in your mileage.
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You still can't get people upset about gas prices every time there isn't peace in the middle east once they stop buying gas.