The US depends on foreign countries for oil, obviously. Consider as well that there is a national speed limit, even though road regulation is at the state level of jurisdiction. The national speed limit had nothing to do with safety. It exists as a as a national security measure to control US dependency on foreign oil.
So naturally when someone fuels their ICE¹ car in the US, they are working against the country. They are contributing to the foreign dependency problem. Somewhat ironically, republicans tend to drive gas guzzling SUVs and oversized pickups. These are the same people who are hell-bent on national security – and who have also hi-jacked the US flag and repurposed it to equate republican politics with patriotism. The foolishness is on display when they attach US flags to their F350 pickups.
US addiction to oil is a bipartisan problem. Dems are also addicted to the convenience of cars to the extreme extent of voting out a California democrat who vowed to impose a fuel tax. Cowardly hypocrits indeed.
There was an attempt by democrats to stigmatize tax avoidance and anti-tax policy as “unpatriotic”. Superficially that would be a wise move, but it failed. Republicans just laugh at that because they have made themselves the definition of patriotic. They can just as well argue that tax hostility is inherently American.
But what about fuel? The republicans would have no viable argument to make against the contradiction of burning oil with patriotism. If dems could pull that off, they could take back the flag.
¹ Internal Combustion Engine
Implying electric cars are patriotic. Or even good.
Geting cars off the road is a real win.
In the US, that would require undoing 100 years of civil engineering with money a broke-ass country does not have.
Implying that making perfect the enemy of good is a wise move in this context. Or even sensible.
Yes, that is perfect. Also a dreamy unrealistic utopia that Americans won’t have at the current unsurmountable level of convenience zombieism that spans both parties.
“Dreamy unrealistic utopia”? Have you ever been to another country? Public transport is table stakes for the OECD.
Or, if you can’t imagine anything as “utopian” as a tram, move close enough to bike to work.
Do you really think all people and cultures are the same? Have you never been to the US?
Indeed I’ve lived inside and outside the US (as a cyclist in a city with good cycling and public transport). Just as Europeans would never accept the general population carrying guns, Americans will not give up their cars. Especially when there is no infra for it. Cyclists would get slaughtered in high numbers on most US streets.
You clearly have no idea how zoning works in the US, and how sprawling cities are.
Apparently “solar punk” means “smug car brains.”
So sad.
I am 100% in the #fuckCars camp (as a cyclist). Whether that is “solar punk” depends on where you are. A solar punk can’t be anti-car while living in locations where carlessness is not viable (that’s just a stupid punk, soon to be dead punk). Your delusions and ignorance about US attitudes, culture, psychology, and addictions is a bit sad, considering hollywood movies would even be sufficient to straighten that out without setting foot in the country.