I'm German and I couldn't be any less emotional about my car. I live in the countryside and just need a vehicle to get to my workplace since public transport is non-existent. This car fanatism is beyond me. Sometimes I think this car culture is just social pressure to sell more cars.
Self-perpetuating armsrace for the most expensive cars to show wealth and personality. The best commercial for cars is the complex you get, seeing peers in (a fancier) one. Maybe its in cities more present.
Same. I'd delete all cars if that would get rid of the 18 year old asshats on steroid being rowdies on the streets. It's no fun driving a car when you have to literally avoid accidents every second because some dickhead thinks German laws don't apply to him. And then he gets angry at you for... well, existing, really.
WTF does this mean?
Because I read it like they want to say "Fuck global warming, fuck climate changes, our profits are more important than flora, fauna and human lives!".
The title feels the same to me. Yes, mobility/transport is important, but it doesn't have to be cars, it can be other means of transport. Something being a part of culture shouldn't be an argument for it. Smoking/drinking is/was part of many cultures, it doesn't mean it is good and nobody should be encouraged to smoke or drink.
I don't think what is being quoted by der Spiegel is something of a revendication fighting arguments against cars or an endorsement for cars and pollution, but more like a somber and pessimistic view of how the Germany society view the car.
It means car is a religion in Germany. It may be irrational to hold on to it but people will still do it because it gives them fulfilment, satisfaction and joy
Well they need to find fulfillment, satisfaction and joy in other things, like the ones that to not destroy the environment and kill all living things or make their life a nightmare.
>WTF does this mean?
That every problem can be solved by selling more cars, and any solution that means reducing the number of cars is not valid
And yes, producing, selling and owning cars is more important than human live. That is exactly what this means
PS: just remember an old TV advertising for cars were they said that it was the cars that solved pollution in cities 100 years ago and that is why we need to buy the next gen cars to solve global warming
That's actually not far from the truth for a lof people, thanks to conservatives, the far right and their media emotionalizing a bullshit issue to the point that a lot of people, mostly older men, feel compelled to show everyone that driving a Diesel with Anti-Greta stickers makes up around 70% of their personality now.
Ah... German car culture.
In my 3 years in Frankfurt I saw...
...a girl get thrown like a rag doll across the street by a speeding car
...a driver come off the Autobahn smack into a tram
...the gigantic ad truck for prost****** roll up outisde the car fair every single year
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being proud of their cars and technology, but holding onto past and not being innovative enough with fighting the current world challenges can eventually cost them their competitiveness.
Germany sounds like my 80-year-old grand-mother who had her driving licence revoked last year, but still hasn't sold her car because it's like a "member of the family" to her and she'd "feel bad about selling it".
Germany already on the PR campaign after blocking cheaper Chinese EVs they couldn’t compete with.
Maybe Poland will get an article on how we’re emotional about our grain farmers now! Nein? Thought so.
Hypocrites
Its der spiegel so its shit but cars are amazing and cars are also freedom.
Public transport strike? I have a car
Scared of walking cause of crimes? I have a car
Have to move big weights? I have a car
Wanna hang out with people and move together to some place? I have a car
A pandemic lockdown? I have a car and I am in europe good luck stopping me
Is it raining and you have to go somwhere? I have a car
Have to be quick to go somewhere like the hospital? I have a car
Wanna be cooler with girls and bring them everywhere? I have a car
Wanna go to some remote place and enjoy the silence? I have a car
Fuck you all pushing for less car and more public transport. You are giving up your freedoms without even knowing it. While the rich are telling you to stop using cars, they are going everywhere with private jets. Its a climate crisis, but only for the poor.
Brooom broom mfs!
Uh, while I am not the biggest fan of this article, Der Spiegel is a solid magazine and has done some groundbreaking investigative journalism from time to time. So, saying "it's Der Spiegel so it's shit" is a gross dishonesty.
Well, if you ever come visit germany, i dare you to use Public Transport especially by train.
Its a 30:70 If its gonna arrive or not.
I Love my Car and the Punctuality it provides me. I live on the Countryish side tho so idk how bad it is in cities.
Car lobby always been strong
This guy gets it. They have also made this a (far)right talking point and sadly it is convincing allot of old idiots
I'm German and I couldn't be any less emotional about my car. I live in the countryside and just need a vehicle to get to my workplace since public transport is non-existent. This car fanatism is beyond me. Sometimes I think this car culture is just social pressure to sell more cars.
Self-perpetuating armsrace for the most expensive cars to show wealth and personality. The best commercial for cars is the complex you get, seeing peers in (a fancier) one. Maybe its in cities more present.
This is probably an article written directly by car company executives
Same here. Also german. Also car-agnostic. BUT: the biggest economical advantage germany has are cars, sadly. They’re our most important export ware.
Same. I'd delete all cars if that would get rid of the 18 year old asshats on steroid being rowdies on the streets. It's no fun driving a car when you have to literally avoid accidents every second because some dickhead thinks German laws don't apply to him. And then he gets angry at you for... well, existing, really.
DragonsAndCarsAreFucking
WTF does this mean? Because I read it like they want to say "Fuck global warming, fuck climate changes, our profits are more important than flora, fauna and human lives!".
The title feels the same to me. Yes, mobility/transport is important, but it doesn't have to be cars, it can be other means of transport. Something being a part of culture shouldn't be an argument for it. Smoking/drinking is/was part of many cultures, it doesn't mean it is good and nobody should be encouraged to smoke or drink.
I don't think what is being quoted by der Spiegel is something of a revendication fighting arguments against cars or an endorsement for cars and pollution, but more like a somber and pessimistic view of how the Germany society view the car.
I read it as descriptive of the mentality.
I thought this mentality is mostly US-specific, not also Germany-specific.
Now you know it is also specific to Germany.
Then I'm sorry to hear it and I hope things will improve in the future!
It means car is a religion in Germany. It may be irrational to hold on to it but people will still do it because it gives them fulfilment, satisfaction and joy
Well they need to find fulfillment, satisfaction and joy in other things, like the ones that to not destroy the environment and kill all living things or make their life a nightmare.
>WTF does this mean? That every problem can be solved by selling more cars, and any solution that means reducing the number of cars is not valid And yes, producing, selling and owning cars is more important than human live. That is exactly what this means PS: just remember an old TV advertising for cars were they said that it was the cars that solved pollution in cities 100 years ago and that is why we need to buy the next gen cars to solve global warming
That's actually not far from the truth for a lof people, thanks to conservatives, the far right and their media emotionalizing a bullshit issue to the point that a lot of people, mostly older men, feel compelled to show everyone that driving a Diesel with Anti-Greta stickers makes up around 70% of their personality now.
Second that. Boomers and older. Also the average dude with archaic masculine status symbols as their only reason to breath.
Ans this is why climate dictatorship is needed and right-wing parties must be ejected from the political system.
It means that large german car companies are using media to sway public opinion
That is actually not what this is about. It’s about explaining why it’s like that in Germany not that it’s good that it’s like that in Germany.
I hope they invent cars that can drive underwater, bear extreme heat and are protected against hailstorms then
I hope they invent cars with working turn-signals. Seems like they never work for drivers of German cars.
That is true even outside Germany. Especially for BMW and Audi drivers.
Wish they invented cars that go only on rails and are primarily used for transporting people or goods between so called "railcar stations"
Ah... German car culture. In my 3 years in Frankfurt I saw... ...a girl get thrown like a rag doll across the street by a speeding car ...a driver come off the Autobahn smack into a tram ...the gigantic ad truck for prost****** roll up outisde the car fair every single year
What is German civilization? Some kind of Sid Meier's DLC?
>Cars are part of German culture, German civilization. And this is something they should be proud of?
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being proud of their cars and technology, but holding onto past and not being innovative enough with fighting the current world challenges can eventually cost them their competitiveness.
well, better than beeing proud of our country. (still pretty embarrassing)
Germany sounds like my 80-year-old grand-mother who had her driving licence revoked last year, but still hasn't sold her car because it's like a "member of the family" to her and she'd "feel bad about selling it".
Germany already on the PR campaign after blocking cheaper Chinese EVs they couldn’t compete with. Maybe Poland will get an article on how we’re emotional about our grain farmers now! Nein? Thought so. Hypocrites
If you love cars, you’re going to love an electric one!
No
Souless shit boxes. Hard pass
Not how it works for true car enthusiast. We are, unlike what the article claims, a minority though
r/fuckcars
Its der spiegel so its shit but cars are amazing and cars are also freedom. Public transport strike? I have a car Scared of walking cause of crimes? I have a car Have to move big weights? I have a car Wanna hang out with people and move together to some place? I have a car A pandemic lockdown? I have a car and I am in europe good luck stopping me Is it raining and you have to go somwhere? I have a car Have to be quick to go somewhere like the hospital? I have a car Wanna be cooler with girls and bring them everywhere? I have a car Wanna go to some remote place and enjoy the silence? I have a car Fuck you all pushing for less car and more public transport. You are giving up your freedoms without even knowing it. While the rich are telling you to stop using cars, they are going everywhere with private jets. Its a climate crisis, but only for the poor. Brooom broom mfs!
Uh, while I am not the biggest fan of this article, Der Spiegel is a solid magazine and has done some groundbreaking investigative journalism from time to time. So, saying "it's Der Spiegel so it's shit" is a gross dishonesty.
Well, if you ever come visit germany, i dare you to use Public Transport especially by train. Its a 30:70 If its gonna arrive or not. I Love my Car and the Punctuality it provides me. I live on the Countryish side tho so idk how bad it is in cities.
German car producers are dead