pollution is other people

Jim heartfield jim at heartfield.demon.co.uk
Wed Sep 22 01:43:15 PDT 1999


Car Survey

owns a car drives to work Alex yes no Doug* no (rents) no Carl yes no Wojtek**yes yes Max yes yes James no no

As the German environmentalists would say 'you're not in a Jam, you are the Jam'.

No, but seriously, without dreaming about some other world, isn't it plain that people drive because they want to? All of this protesting that 'it isn't possible' and 'of course I don't approve' is just by the by. You don't have to make that journey - you want to. Stop feeling so guilty about it.

Note that most of our car-opposing car users do not use their cars for the journey to work. So what do they need them for? Could it be 'non- essential use'? God forbid that you are all visiting relatives, or going shopping, or picking up the kids from school. Don't you know you are damaging the ...blah blah blah.

It just goes to show that environmentalism is so much hot air. we pay lip service to it, but you cannot live your life by it. Plainly the terrible dangers ahead are only half-believed in, like religious damnation (which they so plainly echo). 'Pollution' as Sartre would say 'is other people'.

* Don't be scared of cycling, Doug, I've cycled to work for twenty years. Cars are more considerate of cyclists than you think.

** Wojtek writes "I could go on and on, but I think you should see the barbarity of the US transportation system (outside New York) by yourself, before criticizing people for using cars in this fucking jeder-fuer-sich-und-Gott-gegen-alles country." And I thought I was the person who was refusing to criticise people for using their cars. -- Jim heartfield



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