I’d like to throw Libertarians in that same cess pool.

90% of them don’t know what Libertarian means, besides no taxes or regulations they don’t share any of the beliefs around personal liberty. They looove jack booted facist shit aimed at the left and minorities all in the name of law and order.

They will hide behind it as a defense mechanism to side step any accountability for their voting record now that the Republican brand is completely fucked.

“Ohh I voted for him but Trump doesn’t represent my beliefs, I’m a libertarian.”

You are going to see a lot of hard core Republicans claiming to be something else as Trumps approval rating sinks further below 30%.

I never once mentioned “airport” in my post.

You may want to better educate yourself on this subject before responding.

ACLU 100 mile boarder zone

In the US, the boarder is considered anywhere within 100 miles of an international boarder. I.E. Oceans, Lakes that are adjacent to another country and the actual boarder with another country.

Ice agents can setup checkpoints anywhere within this area and search your phone. Since most Americans live near the coasts this “boarder area” covers an 90% of the population.

No

Both statements can be true at the same time. But the scale of one is many times larger.

China’s MO from rare earths and magnets to cars to silicon follows the same plan. Take IP, Subsidize the industry, Research, once you have a monopoly use it to squeeze adversaries.

I will say at least China is willing to kill off underperforming companies.

The US needs to let a lot of legacy companies that aren’t performing die off. It also needs to break up oligopolies in many industries. Why compete when you can buy up the future competitors and set prices with a handful of competitors. The financialization of our economy is choking us.

It’s more… they are getting more servicing the AI sector.

I was alluding to that conspiracy theory.

They have proven time and time again that they will do anything to screw over the middle class rather than have the rich pay their fair share in taxes. Which is what makes this theory so plausible.

Also control… never forget they just want to control what others do with their bodies.

They see this technology as powerful and their respective organizations or Nation needs to own it no matter the risk.

They are also conditioning the populace for a big black swan AI event such as AI interfering in elections or a huge multi institution hack to our banking system which drains our accounts, etc., etc.

Thereby creating a crisis which only they can solve. The one thing I can guarantee is their solutions will only give them more power.

People can sense the system is rigged against them. They may blame different parties, policies, races, etc. But there is a lot of anger in the air. The US is quickly becoming a polarized powder keg more so than I can remember at any time in my life.

Flock cameras and AI are seen as tools of those whom they blame (rightfully so). It’s a rare physical manifestation of this rigged system that is pointed directly at you as you go about your life.

If we as a society were really against surveillance there would be a huge movement against Ring doorbells, microphones in TVs, our phones recording us, etc. But those devices are mundane and we interact with them. Which puts people at ease and placates the majority of people.

Flock has none of that, it’s a symbol of oppression from a system that wants to control us.

All of that is already in play and more.

They know your income, spending habits, outstanding credit balances, browsing history, etc. They know if you are employed, had a child, had a divorce or death in the family. They know your health and how active you are.

With all that data, AI knows what you are willing to spend on an item or service.

There are HR services that use AI to look at all of this meta data to determine how desperate you are for a job and how low they can offer a salary/wage.

You’re the product.

There are many many reasons cars are not as reliable as they used to be. Complicated electrical systems, engine parts made increasingly of plastic, individual parts that can’t be repaired and require the replacement of an entire component (I.E. Your door handle breaks and the only way to fix it is to replace the entire door panel.).

But the light oil issue is a major one for drive trains. Many engines weren’t originally designed for the ultra lightweight oil and their seals don’t hold up over the long term.

It’s a good thing, ICE technology has been pushed past its practical use. Manufactures were making too many compromises to increase fuel economy the ultra light oil they are using is bad for the engines and is one of the main reasons why new cars today aren’t as reliable as ones from the early 2000’s.

The price of gas will probably drive most people who can over to electric or hybrid. But those engines will probably be more reliable now.

My Apple Maps still says Lake Ontario.

Edit: Nevermind, when you zoom in it changes to Lake America.

I rarely ever use Apple Maps, I guess I’ll be using Wayz and Mapquest from now on.

Are you dense or just don’t understand the English language? I quoted the relevant text of a comment you made:

My reaction comes from studies done on vehicle safety and the economics behind them. You reacted by saying “I _feel_ safer” and getting all emotional because you’re trying to justify your purchase. And everyone else is unhinged.

Well let me spell it out below:

I am safer in a large vehicle and both you and I verified that statement.

Smaller cars like the Kei truck being a prime example of unsafe cars. Which you and I proved.

I am glad you finally agreed with my original comment. I do take great satisfaction that you have admitted I should feel “snuggly” safe in my large truck.

My purchase is justified by the statistic you love so much and everyone else is unhinged. That was the only point I was making.

So while you can feel snuggly safe in your ridiculous truck, know that cumulatively more fatalities are happening because vehicles keep getting bigger.

I highly encourage you to stand by your convictions and purchase a small truck like the Kei. You can be the change you so vehemently advocate for. May you drive it proudly maybe even recklessly in dangerous heavy traffic around large vehicles.

Sounds like it’s cool with you then. Just out of curiosity do you wear a red hat to events?

“We are lucky that they are so fucking stupid”

~Ukrainian Soldier

Ohh if you’re pissed at this just wait until you hear that the administration is funding the war out of the payroll for the armed services.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/27/trump-iran-war-navy-budget

When sailors stop getting paychecks on time it’s gonna be lit.

Evidently sarcasm not only goes over your head, it is so far over your head it’s in orbit.

My reaction comes from studies done on vehicle safety and the economics behind them. You reacted by saying “I _feel_ safer” and getting all emotional because you’re trying to justify your purchase. And everyone else is unhinged.

My man, remember your original premise above? That I only felt safer but didn’t have any supporting data making me emotional? I posted it above for your edification. I appreciate you spending who knows how long putting together an argument that attacks your original statement in this thread. The paragraph you wrote below… Chefs kiss I appreciate how well you document how safe I am in my large truck.

Yes, vehicles are generally safer today than they were in the past (Tyndall) but the mass and shape of vehicles plays a critical role in whether pedestrians or cyclists are killed. “SUVs and light trucks are taller, heavier, and more rigid than cars, they pose an increased danger to occupants of cars and to pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists” (Hu et al.). Trucks and SUVs disenfranchise other drivers’ safety, because they “…are much stiffer. They therefore absorb less of the force of the crash and transfer more to cars” (Hu et al.).

I am safer driving around town in the safety of my large 7000 lb truck. Than a Kei truck driver would be.

Congratulations you played yourself.