That's just like, their opinion man
adriaan
joined 1 year ago
I feel like you're taking this discussion way too personally. You don't need to defend your own purchase here. I already granted that anyone's choice of transport is hugely influenced by environmental factors, and in the United States those favour very big personal vehicles.
Even if that weren't the case, there will always be niches in which a specific choice makes sense, even if the choice were broadly asinine (which - again - choosing a large vehicle is not if you're in the United States). I am not (and no sane person in this thread) is arguing that there are no valid use cases for these vehicles, even in a country where infrastructure and society is designed around smaller vehicles.
Yes, the load a minitruck can carry is a lot less than a large truck. That doesn't take away the fact that the focus on huge personal use vehicles in the United States broadly has a lot of negative externalities.
The Japanese minitruck is a lot cheaper than the American truck, both in purchase and in use. If you buy a purpose built vehicle for work and personal use (or, even better: use public transit for the latter) in Japan you likely spend less than you do buying just a large pickup in the United States.
A 2023 F150 in the US starts at $33k. A 2023 Mitsubishi Minicab in Japan starts at $12k. You can almost buy three of them. The F150 has a fuel efficiency of 20mpg. The Mitsubishi Minicab has a fuel efficiency of 39mpg US. On top of that, maintenance will be cheaper with a smaller and cheaper vehicle.
It's also worth noting that large vehicles incur social costs external to the consumer. A larger vehicle wears down roads quicker, requiring more government subsidy or higher taxes for road maintenance. A larger vehicle takes up more space, requiring wider roads and larger parking spaces, which makes infrastructure more expensive and sprawling; the latter makes cities less walkable.
A larger vehicle has a bigger environmental impact, negatively impacting health - leading to more spending on health care - and to a larger burden on the climate - requiring more spending on green energy and carbon offsets. A larger vehicle is less safe in collisions, leading to more deaths and graver injuries, again requiring more spending on health care.
Granted, the United States has remarkably poor infrastructure and civil planning for a rich country, making it difficult for its citizens to rely on superior modes of transport, and incentivizing bad transport outcomes. I certainly don't blame any American for deciding to buy an American car; the country is just designed around them.
Why even have cars commute through such a central part of Tokyo?
Knee jerk reactions against change by definition are anti-progressive and reactionary. People's views are more right wing when they are negatively affected personally. That doesn't make it not a right wing view.
Not sure why you would go on a family trip with a work truck. The Japanese truck is specialized for work, because it's silly to have a work truck that you go on big family trips with.
That said, a quick google for Japanese trucks just picking the first one I can find - the Mitsubishi Minicab - it seems they can go 70mph. The Mitsubishi Minicab has a top speed of 72mph.
Your views on zoning, transit development, labour regulation, ad health care all sound leftist. Those zoning laws are right wing, not left wing.
Inflexibility is more a stereotype of Americans in general than of American soldiers, also these stereotypes are from quite a while ago so they have shifted
It was a genuine question.
I'm not sure if I had to pick one issue what that issue would be. Probably either pending climate disaster or the increasing centralization of wealth and power.
You think gun control policy is the biggest issue we face?
What about loot boxes in your games lol, are you seriously concerned about losing those?
The employees might not have money for a car since they get paid a shit wage.. which means having to walk through the car infrastructure.