I think it’s fair to say that people everywhere are losing trust – trust in the media, in our partisan and corrupted politics, in scientists, experts and even in capitalism itself. According to the Edelman Corporation, which runs an annual ‘Trust Barometer‘ based on the views of people in 28 countries, only one in five feels that the current system is working for them, and the one thing that unites people worldwide is an urgent desire for change.
Something is not right! But while it can be tempting the throw the baby out with the bathwater and do something extreme (like electing dishonest and buffoonish leaders, for example), it is worth remembering that in many ways the system does work, and it has raised the living standards of billions around the world.
Image credits: uzumaki2810
Take this story, posted on the subreddit r/MurderedByWords, for example.
After someone posted a photo of a modern car, crumpled and in pieces after having crashed into a sturdy, seemingly undamaged older model, one Tumblr user lamented the passing of good old American steel in modern car manufacturing. Apparently, fiberglass is to blame.
Not to be outdone, this lactating left-winger went all the way and stated that the modern-day phenomenon of fragile, crumpling cars is just another symptom of the failure of capitalism. This is the logical conclusion to any problem these days, isn’t it?
No.
Happily, someone with a better understanding of the issue entered the scene and put the misguided Marxist firmly in their place. Safety advancements in automobile technology have come along massively in recent years, and are getting better still thanks to research and investment.
Post: busted. Experts like these are handy resources to have, aren’t they? Perhaps if we had more trust in experts and scientists in general, we would all be in a better place right now!
What do you think? Has a good car safety design ever saved your life? Do you believe in the concept of planned obsolescence? Is capitalism to blame for everything? Let us know in the comments below!
Here’s how people reacted to the exchange
I work since 15 years in car development. I worked for Daimler, Ford, BMW and Audi. This is one of the main aspects I also always advocate for. There is a reason why modern cars don't look so "cool" like old cars. We have modern safety regulations. Sharp edges will harm pedestrians. That's why they are illegal. We need space for airbags. That's why A-Pillars are much wider then at old cars. And we have areas that should deform to take the major force of an impact. That's why it looks sometimes like we build cardhouses. But it is working as intended. It cost a lot of lives to learn enough to build modern cars. Don't make this lives wasted and do also your part. Keep a modest speed, keep a modest distance to the car in front of you and use your seatbelt :)
Thanks for this. I often tell people that the reason not to speed isn't about how fast you can DRIVE, it's how fast you can STOP.
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I’m reminded of World War I. The British Army upgraded from cloth caps to metal helmets but saw more head injuries than before. They couldn’t figure out why until someone realized those extra injuries would have been deaths earlier.
Having been in an accident that pretty much took the front end off my car I can say that I am grateful to modern cars for their safety features. Car was a write off but I was not injured.
Me too. I've totalled two cars in my lifetime - the first time I was in a 1990 Chevy sports car. I'm very tiny so I was fine but could have been very injured. The second time I was in a 2004 Mitsubishi SUV. The front end basically imploded but I had not a bruise or a scratch on me.
Load More Replies... I work since 15 years in car development. I worked for Daimler, Ford, BMW and Audi. This is one of the main aspects I also always advocate for. There is a reason why modern cars don't look so "cool" like old cars. We have modern safety regulations. Sharp edges will harm pedestrians. That's why they are illegal. We need space for airbags. That's why A-Pillars are much wider then at old cars. And we have areas that should deform to take the major force of an impact. That's why it looks sometimes like we build cardhouses. But it is working as intended. It cost a lot of lives to learn enough to build modern cars. Don't make this lives wasted and do also your part. Keep a modest speed, keep a modest distance to the car in front of you and use your seatbelt :)
Thanks for this. I often tell people that the reason not to speed isn't about how fast you can DRIVE, it's how fast you can STOP.
Load More Replies... I’m reminded of World War I. The British Army upgraded from cloth caps to metal helmets but saw more head injuries than before. They couldn’t figure out why until someone realized those extra injuries would have been deaths earlier.
Having been in an accident that pretty much took the front end off my car I can say that I am grateful to modern cars for their safety features. Car was a write off but I was not injured.
Me too. I've totalled two cars in my lifetime - the first time I was in a 1990 Chevy sports car. I'm very tiny so I was fine but could have been very injured. The second time I was in a 2004 Mitsubishi SUV. The front end basically imploded but I had not a bruise or a scratch on me.
Load More Replies...
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