Let's Start a War on Cars!

[Old and In the Way]

"On an average, there are more than 6 million car accidents on the roads of the US, annually.

More than 3 million people get injured due to car accidents, with more than 2 million of these injuries being permanent.

There are in excess of 40,000 deaths due to car accidents every year."

http://www.lawcore.com/car-accident/statistics.html

So, lets do the math - Over the past 5 years, cars have killed 200,000 Americans vs............. 3,000 by terrorists.

In the past 5 years, I'm not sure how much we, as our government, have spent on public safety (more crash resistant cars, better roads), but I'd guess it was a hell of a lot less than what we did under Clinton and that wasn't nearly enough.

I do have a handle on what the "War on Terror" has cost us-

We've spent $1 Trillion Dollars+ (that's $1,000,000,000,000.00+), lost 3000 American soldiers, as well as our international reputation and self-identity. We are fighting a GWOT, but it's not a Global War on Terror, it's 'George's War on Thinking'. The "War on Terror" is the biggest, most sustained con I've ever seen perpetrated on the American people.

[welshTerrier2]

1. this is among the most important issues

my "anti-car" focus is perhaps more based on CO2 emissions and on global warming although there can be no denying that cars kill more Americans than wars and terrorism and a few of the biggie diseases do ...

i want to see restrictions put on auto use ... we cannot continue to spew toxins into the air without threatening the continuation of life on the planet ... a few months ago, i posted a thread on this topic on DU ... i came to learn that the Democratic Party has become poisoned with a substantial presence of libertarians ... "how dare you take my car away you authoritarian ass!!!! ... it's my RIGHT to drive"

as progressives, we must be committed to slowing or preventing global warming ... libertarians, those poor misguided souls from the ME generation (and that generation spans all age groups), need to learn that part of progressive politics means SACRIFICING for the common good ... their greedy clinging to what they want has nothing to do with being a progressive ... somehow, we have failed to teach that progressivism is mired in "the common good" ... we really need to do a better job getting the message out ...

k&r ...

[Old and In the Way]

2. We need to mobilize for the "War on Cars" and the "War on Healthcare"

and the "War on Global Warming". We can't afford to fund the Republican Commonwealth Acquisition Program, otherwise know as "The War on Terror".

[Old and In the Way]

3. And another thing.....

National policy should be formulated from the collective vision of our future. We can use the fundamental issues of environment, energy, healthcare and create a sustaining economic growth model for our citizens.

[Uncle Joe]

6. I wonder if we would have better success to classify

excessive carbon dioxide a "weapon of mass destruction"? Maybe then the Neanderthals, I mean neocons will pick up the war drums against global warming.

Kicked and recommended

:kick:

[Old and In the Way]

7. Good point...it's all in the framing.

We need to do a better job of contrasting the issues, logic, and implications of what each Party's (well, one Party and the majority Crime Syndicate) vision for America is. Does anyone really want to be living, 20 years from now, in the Republican reality that they are creating with their vision and agenda today?

[Uncle Joe]

8. About as much as George Bailey

wanted to live in Pottersville, (and this is the optimistic version)from the movie "It's a Wonderful Life". Personally, I believe Dick Cheney was cloned from Old Man Potter, however Dick is not as warm and fuzzy.

[Lady Effingbroke]

4. The amount of automotive carnage we tolerate in our society is amazing.

Single-car crashes; multiple car pile-ups; hit-and-run pedestrian accidents - the ambulances and wreckers swoop in to clean up the chaos and carry away the shattered carcasses, both human and mechanical - while we blithely keep right on motoring along.

[N90ATC]

5. gaywheels.com

I just saw an ad about this website. pretty interesting which companies are gay friendly & which ones aren't. I always buy American now anyway & it's nice to see Ford on the list.

[Arugula Latte]

9. I've already enlisted in the War on Christmas...

So I'd be spread too thin if I started fighting cars ...

Now, if you'll excuse me I've gotta go smash some ornaments and practice my boxing technique so I'm ready when my first victim wishes me "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays" ...

[Old and In the Way]

11. Good to see you have your priorities in order!

:rofl:

[cally]

10. If we drove less, we would all have better

lifestyles. We would walk more and lose weight. Our health would improve from the exercise. We would notice crime in our neighborhood and perhaps notice those in need. We would go to neighborhood stores since we have to walk there. We would breathe cleaner air and asthma and other lung problems would decrease. If we reduce driving enough, we could reverse the impending global warming crisis.

If you visit European cities built before the automobile, they are much more walkable. Houses are much smaller but I sense that they are happier with their lifestyles. Our automobile culture is extremely isolating and I think too many become isolated and disconnected from others. I don't see a way to move forward as a society without reducing our reliance on cars.

(Yes, I live in a suburb and I drive too much. Still, I probably drive about 5 to 10 miles a day.)

[Old and In the Way]

12. self-indulgent boot.