Automobilism - Episode 49 Patreon Extra!
Added 2020-10-07 20:56:19 +0000 UTCDear Patreons: We’ve got some bonus War on Cars content just for you!
If you’ve had a chance to listen to Episode 49, “Winning the War on Cars in Rural America,” then you know that I spoke with Dave Cohen about how his organization V-Bike is working to encourage the use of electric-assist bicycles in hilly, sprawly, rural Vermont.
When I sat down to interview Dave in Vermont last August, we spoke for a whopping THREE HOURS. But only about twenty minutes of that conversation made it into the final episode and lots of great tape ended up on the cutting room floor. In the episode, we focused mainly on Dave’s policy and advocacy work. For years, Dave has thought deeply about the various ways in which the bicycle and the automobile impact our relationships to our bodies, our communities, and the natural world. Dave had a lot more to say.
So, with the help of War on Cars editor Ali Lemer we whipped up an extra 14 minutes delving into The Philosophy of Dave. Call it: “Automobilism.” Our first Patreon Extra.
We hope you enjoy it. And please let us know what you think. You can message us here on Patreon or shoot an email to thewaroncars@gmail.com. If you like the Extra, we’ll try to do more of them. On behalf of Doug and Sarah, thanks again for supporting the war effort.
—Aaron
Comments
Dave’s allusion to Marshall McLuhan is outstanding. However, I’d add that McLuhan called technologies “extensions of Man” and our bodies (eg, cars) and minds (eg, smart phones). To take these away from people is akin to an amputation. Therefore I don’t think you can ever sell removing a technology without replacing it. McLuhan showed this in the evolution of one media/technology into another. So McLuhan would say that cars can only be eliminated or reduced with some mobility replacement.
Peter Laurence
2021-01-24 20:53:10 +0000 UTCThat was a fantastic extra bit. I like the analogy of Automobilism to Alcoholism or Colonialism, as well S his discussion of the Car Industrial Complex. Thanks for sharing some extra conversation!
Anthony Carfang
2020-10-12 20:14:19 +0000 UTC
