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Centenary of the millionth car: what's democracy got to do with it?

By Barry York - posted Monday, 14 December 2015


After the Second World War, the increasing availability of cars played a significant part in the advent of the 'teenager', adding to that age cohort's sense of independence from parents and the older generation. I remember the thrill and trepidation of my first car, purchased in 1969 when I was 18. My parents had never owned one. We went everywhere in Melbourne by foot or by tram. My horizons flourished with my Morris 1500 which, incidentally, was bought on the same day that man stepped foot on the Moon. Like the astronauts, I explored places with it that I never previously thought possible.

Not a dichotomy

The downsides of the car are well known: air and noise pollution, traffic congestion, urban sprawl, reliance on fossil fuel. There are other issues that are less clear-cut, such as the claim that the car has made life too fast-paced. That is a value judgement. Some of us like a fast pace. Then there is the claim that cars disconnect communities. This strikes me as questionable. It's another value judgement. Communities not based on the coincidence of location have always had more meaning for me and I suspect for many others too.

Living in a democracy means that people can form lobby groups and can protest – for more public transport, for greater road access for cyclists, for the car itself (such as Australia's Motoring Enthusiasts Party) – but the dichotomy between the car and the other options is, in my opinion, a false one. We are fortunate to have personal choice and the best of all transport options.

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The dichotomy between public transport/bicycles and cars also reveals very limited and unimaginative thinking. In the 21st century, prototypes exist for personalised jet-packs and flying cars. They are currently hugely expensive and beyond the reach of ordinary people. Yet we know from history that this will change.

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This article was first published on the blog of the Museum of Australian Democracy.



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About the Author

Barry York is an historian and writer who blogs at C21st Left. He rejects the current pseudo-left and regards himself as a leftist influenced by Marxism.

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Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

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