If Environmentalism Is Punishment, It Won’t Happen
If being a good steward of the environment comes at the expense of comfort, convenience, style, safety, or any of the other things we demand in our lives, it’s not going to happen. That’s the thought that went through my head as I was snapping the picture here a few minutes ago. Here’s a perfect car for a masochist with a death-wish.
I normally don’t join in ridiculing the environmentalist movement, but when it’s done as well as it is in the video below, I have to make an exception and laugh right along. A huge tip of my hat to whoever wrote this:
Craig,
Hilarious, and it’s nice to see you’ve regained your sense of humour.:)
I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it before, but for many years I’ve been collecting and restoring electric vehicles of all ages and types from around the world.(I now have 154 in various stages of condition).
The little blue and red vehicles in the video were produced by Peel Engineering Ltd on the Isle of Man (UK) between 1965 and 1969. In 2011, and attempt was made to revive production of the Peel as an EV and a small number of models were built.
The Peel is the smallest enclosed road registered vehicle according to the Guinness Book of Records.
Interestingly, the video also included the showcase of Socialist automotive engineering, the truly horrible Trabant.
The video is brilliantly funny and justifiably satirical, it’s critical of the sort of incompetent, politically driven government subsidies, without really denigrating well monitored, intelligently administered government assistance to new industry, were governments can play an important role with tax credits, incentives etc.
But my congratulations to you for posting this amusing video, it’s good to be able to laugh at our own foibles.
Hi Craig,
Some years ago, I encountered a very earnest, humourless, contributor to a “green” automotive web forum.
This person kept insisting on the commercial viability of spartan, uncomfortable, commuter EV’s. Like many others at that time, he insisted there was a large demand for such vehicle but the oil companies, car sales people, governments etc, were suppressing the technology and was outraged by the news Porsche had released the new 918 hybrid model, priced from $US 845,000 !
To lighten the mood I sent him a reply form an imaginary London car dealer, as follows:
Dear Sir,
Thank you for your inquiry regarding the new hybrid Porshe.
It is evident that you are..ah.., oh dear, how shall I put it ?…well, you just don’t seem our sort of client!
Now do you mind leaving, we are expecting an important Russian Gangst…ah sorry,.. businessman at any moment. He will be introducing three South American chums of that nice Mr Bernie Madoff, and a Nigerian ‘Prince’ who has already bought five previous models.
You might feel more at home at ‘Honest Kim Jung Un’ Motors….
I remain, your supercilious servant, etc..
Hon. Rupert Basingstroke-Smythe 1V
Snootville Motors Ltd (sales by introduction only).
The comment section, fairly bristled with humourless and extremely outraged replies who hadn’t realized there was no such “dealer” !
I couldn’t resist continuing the charade and replied to an imaginary potential client:-
The Honorable Jeremy Cashly_Bovis MP JP,
Release the Hounds Hall,
Mayfair.
Dear Sir,
We are most honoured to announce, here at Snootville Motors we are very conscious of nature and clean air, and the environment.
In order to have the exact blooms our customers favours,we fly a large variety of rare fresh flowers flown in by private jet on a daily basis from all over the world.
For your convenience in addition to our famous gourmet restaurant, we recently installed a special ‘Café’ in the basement to provide huge burgers and whole roost pigs, all animals (slaughtered on premises), for our clients chauffeurs and bodyguards., and…er..”Personal Security consultants’.
Next week we are opening a gymnasium, completely air-conditioned for these fellows to use while the Motor-cars are being serviced.
(Our Sales Staff regard it as an enormous treat to watch the big, muscular fellows sweating and exercising…..(cough)….) anyway,where was I ?
Oh yes, we are delighted to inform you your application was successful, and you have been accepted as a client (probationary).
Evidently you are a discerning sort of person and will appreciate quality of our latest 9 litre V22 supercharged 2999 hp 1 gallon to the mile automobile.
When visiting our show room, you may wish to avail yourself of the very exclusive ‘Gentleman’s Private Club’. This is a very stimulating facility available exclusively to our clients.
Shall I tell your usual, very private hostess, Natasha, to expect you on Thursday? Shall I reserve you the table nearest the whips ? (we’re having peacock, stuffed with rare wood pigeon for lunch, followed by marinated endangered Siberian tiger paws) …..
For a matinee, we usually have a show where some of the local poor are rounded up and after a good thrashing, let to fight with 20 ft crocodiles. (for Australian members we dress some as aborigines).. great fun, just like boarding school.
I remain, your supercilious servant, etc..
Hon. Rupert Basingstroke-Smythe 1V
Snootville Motors Ltd (sales by introduction only )
I was amazed how many greens thought my posts were serious, and even more astonishing were number who claimed personal knowledge of the dealership!
Bizzare !
Yes, greens can be pretty humorless, I guess because there’s nothing funny about environmental destruction. Nonetheless, I try to laugh wherever possible. Andy Borowitz of The New Yorker constantly has me rolling on the floor. https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/andy-borowitz I really don’t know how he does it, but he comes up with angles on current events that no one else sees.
Your sense of humor is really unique. Thanks for sharing this video
Thanks. So many zingers. My favorite line is “(with this stereo) You’ll never miss a segment of NPR again.”