Over one million people have viewed the Instagram video I made while stranded at a broken Electrify America charging station in my $2000 Nissan Leaf, whose range after 12 years is down to just 20 miles due to battery degradation. A huge portion of those 1 million people are electric vehicle skeptics, and the things many of them are saying in the over 10,000 comments are wild.
In addition, the U.S. arm of the British tabloid The Sun even wrote an article about my situation. It seems I’ve somehow found myself in the middle of a massive culture war. Behold some of the jaw-dropping comments that make it clear just how divided America is when it comes to electric cars.
Let’s show the reel that started this whole thing, and try to imagine you don’t have the context of having read about the car here first:
View this post on Instagram
This video depicts me frustrated that three Electrify America charging stations are broken at the same time that my 2011 Nissan Leaf — a vehicle that I bought for just $2000 and that will end up being $1000 after a rebate from my power company — had pretty much no juice left. This shouldn’t be surprising to a regular follower, since I’d previously noted that the vehicle’s battery had degraded to about 40 percent capacity, meaning it will power the vehicle only about 20-ish miles on flat ground.
The video ends with me stating that I’m likely going to have to ditch the nearly-dead Leaf in that parking lot and take an Uber to my destination, though I actually managed to find a Level 2 charger nearby, and later I drove the Leaf home; I state in the video’s caption that America’s charging infrastructure still needs work.
It’s OK To Be An EV Skeptic
This was enough for anti-EV extremists to go wild and to use my clip as ammo to promote an anti-EV agenda. I want to make clear before I go further: I don’t use the term “extremist” in the headline lightly (also it’s worth noting that there are just as many extremists on the other side, obsessed with Tesla to a degree that’s almost cult-like). It is OK if you don’t like how the government is forcing EVs upon everyone (I myself am not 100% onboard with it), and it’s even OK to hate EVs themselves (though I find that objectively weird given how technologically impressive electric cars are) — if people did just those two things, I would not use the term “extremist.”
It is totally OK to be an EV skeptic given relatively long charge times, significant infrastructure issues (including the grid’s inability to handle it all), high average EV cost (a huge player in dividing EV fans from EV skeptics, as price makes it a class issue), battery degradation concerns (especially not knowing the battery condition when buying used), range anxiety (especially in winter or when towing), concerns about mining of minerals in batteries, road/bridge concerns related to high weight of EVs, concerns over how violently EVs can burn in a crash, and on and on. Some of my closest friends hate that Americans are being forced to buy EVs when we so love our gas cars. I don’t hold that against my friends. That’s totally fine.
But people in the comments of my Instagram reel did not just voice their displeasure over America’s EV push or with EVs themselves or with any of the other issues I mentioned; instead, they went overboard, calling me a “sheep,” frequently mentioning “virtue signaling,” implying that I’m somehow a “sucker” who bought into some kind of government trickery, and bullying me. Hard.
America Is Intensely Divided On Electric Cars
I’ve been in the media limelight for nearly a decade, so this stuff truly does not affect me one bit, but for those of you who are maybe having a tough day, I’d recommend you stop reading. Some of this is tough to see, but it’s indicative of the incredibly volatile place America’s EV transition finds itself in socially — this is a culture war, make no mistake about it:
dave_chungus_connery went absolutely wild with his comment above, stating:
If your dumb enough to buy an EV, you deserve worse than this. I hope your life becomes so miserable that you move to a red state specifically so that you can purchase a firearm and then blast a tunnel through your brain with it.
Yes it is you FUCKING LOSER ! IT’S ALL A BIG SCAM ! WAKE UP YOU FUCKING LOSERS ! ELECTRIC WILL NEVER WORK, PERIOD. END OF STORY ! ????????????????????????????????????????
I can’t get over the fact someone can be so ugly ?
Or you can work on that double chin and walk
Misogynistic Views Towards EVs
This lady needs to call a man
Libtard!!! Lol. Ha ha!!!
Sell car, buy testicles.
Politics And EV Ownership
What does the bullying and the misogyny tell us about the state of Americans’ EV transition? I think it highlights just how vehemently a significant portion of the population detests electric cars; they hate EVs so much that anyone who drives one is no longer an “us,” but rather a “them,” and a cursed, emasculated “them,” at that. Many folks made assumptions about my political preferences, too, and all because I drive a $1000 Nissan Leaf:
“Typical liberal,” writes Instagrammer t1_jossh. “But your being a good little Democrat. Stop complaining and do your part. It’s not supposed to make sense,” saintcloud69 writes, implying here that I’m under some kind of government trance.
“I think these are the same people that voted for you know who, hows that all working out…Trump and gasoline 2024,” writes Instagram-user yorkie_sydney. “It must be hard to be a liberal, like if you get stranded but you also voted for no guns so your’e just going to have to sit there if anything happens,” chimes in Instrammer kev_the_truth.
“This guy probably voted for Biden too …” wrote scooter_diablo_dffd. “You people support lithium and cobalt mines that basically enslave children,” states damniel_gets_lost. That latter comment about mining is echoed throughout that comment chain, as are assertions that electric cars are, in fact, no cleaner than gasoline cars (the best research out there has found that new EVs are, in fact, cleaner than new gas cars).
Instagrammer stupidweekends asks: “do you get to keep your woke patch?” Instagram-user 23_whiteboy_summer_23 says something similar: “The consequences of your choices. Stay woke cornhole.”
Here’s my video-response to these comments:
View this post on Instagram
Skeptics Circulate Claims That EVs Are Dirtier Than Gas Cars
Electric vehicles should not exist. Their footprint on our planet is SOOOO much more toxic than fossil fuels.
Instagram user cuetlachtli_ writes:
Electric vehicles are a scam and are worse for our environment. People need to stop buying…into this
User ant7t2 follows up with:
Go back to petrol & be normal. you ain’t saving no environment bro.
Then there’s el_chabelo73 who says:
It looks that you didn’t research anything about those cars and the damage that they cause to extraction of lithium WAKE UP
Instagrammer tat2rob73 tells me to stop being a sheep, before claiming that EVs put out more carbon than gas cars (a largely inaccurate claim for new cars when evaluated over lifetime-use, though this article isn’t meant to debunk all these claims, but rather to highlight the extent to which many Americans are critical of America’s EV path). Here’s the full comment:
Quit being a sheep and follow along just a start they will shut off electric at anytime they want to that’s what they won’t so they can control you and besides to make that car puts out more carbon ruins the earth than a gas vehicle for its life of being on the road and that have ass car is going to ruin roads faster so there’s more money out you’re pocket to pay higher taxes to fix the road its going get with it sheep
It’s worth noting the beginning of that comment, “follow along just a start they will shut off electric at anytime they want to that’s what they won’t so they can control you,” because this idea that EVs are a way for the government to control your movement is, by far, the biggest concern that people in the comments of this reel have voiced.
The Biggest Concern By Far: EVs Are A Tool That The Government Is Using To Limit Your Motion
Without question, the most commonly-mentioned concern in the 10,500+ comments is that the U.S. government is using EVs to control its citizens’ movements. It goes without saying that there’s no proof of this, but nonetheless, it’s something that worries thousands of Americans.
“Non reliable energy will make you reliant on those who control it (government). This is how they will imprison and enslave us,” writes Instagram user 81ronin41 in the comment above.
“All by design – a means to control our movements,” shares shane1122469 in the comment above. Instagram user g_mabev1957 wrote something similar, saying “It’s all about control, all they have to do is turn off the electricity. Wake up people.”
Instagram user ronin_skater_138 (a similar username to the other 81ronin41, curiously), writes in the comment above:
It’s by design. They want you to get so frustrated you just give up, move into the pod in your nearet 15 minute city, eat the bugs, own nothing, and like it. It’s the progressive agenda in a nutshell.
Then there’s this comment from Instagrammer phiyaatv, in which they refer to me as a zombie and liken EV ownership to a “plandemic”:
Sorry but I feel no sympathy for any of these zombies. Maybe he should’ve done his due diligence and he wouldn’t be in this situation. Evs and the climate crisis are as big of a scam as the covaids plandemic ????
Writing on the wall. Read it, believe it. ‘They’ want us helpless.
That is the Democratic Communist Swamp terrorists plan by pushing electric garbage has zero to do with emissions and climate change political hoax its about control. They can cut the power and boom nobody is going anywhere. Vote Red
That’s their whole plan to keep people from moving around. You think if everyone drive those things. They would be able to move around freely. hell no, all they have to do is turn of your charging stations at your not going anywhere, ANYTIME
And more from arteims21:
FYI EV”s Are For MICRO CITIES!! WHERE YOUR EVERY MOVE IS MONITORED FOR THE BENEFIT OF THIS TYRANNICAL GOVERNMENT REGIMEjosh_weiland
Wait til they shut your shit down bec your social credit score was low in 2023
Welcome the dystopia of electric car control. Thank your local government, electrical supply company and the owner of that site.
“They don’t want you traveling.”
Jeremy.forget.90 wrote:
Hahahahaha..you drank the kool aid. Obviously you believe what you hear and do no homework. Thinking this was all a good idea until now lol good luck with that electric toilet @davidntracy
Battery cars are the biggest hoax since the election of Pappy Bi-duh-n. Zero market demand and zilch infrastructure support. I dare ya to take one of these ???? piles across the country. And don’t dare take the family with you. Your odds of making it look to be about the same as going west with a wagon train. Farce. Scam. Joke. Swindle. Brought to you by the US govt. Figures.
Almost like your Government lied to you about all the false information making it better than when it’s actually about to offer? Nahhh your Government wouldn’t lie to you…
There’s A Class Component To All Of This
America isn’t awful – you’re just a mindless sheep with more money than sense. Enjoy your uber – fucking tool hahaha.
Spend 100k on a car that doesn’t even work. Liberal logic. Mean while rednecks have a 40 year old pickup that’s half rusted out flyin down the road breathing air and sending fuel while the old degenerate laughs at you liberals stranded with a charger handle in your hand.
It’s also worth noting in response to the above comment that I own a bench seat-having, stamped tailgate-equipped, long bed, regular cab, gun rack-equipped, carbureted, straight six, four-speed manual-having 1985 Jeep J10, and I bought my coworker Jason a 1989 Ford F-150 with a 300-inline six and a T18 four-speed stick. So these assumptions folks are making about me couldn’t be more wrong. I address this in the Instagram reel I made yesterday (the same one I posted earlier).
The Sun Article
He said he planned to head to Pasadena and hoped he would reach his destination with enough charge.
David had only traveled 15 miles but the battery’s range was down to nine.
The driver had to pull over as the battery had reached a “dangerously low level,” but he was met with a long line of electric car drivers waiting to charge their respective vehicles.
I ran out of charge because my EV’s range had depleted. That happened.
But I often see websites hide behind excuses like “The facts are true and from primary sources,” when the reality is that editorial fairness goes well beyond that. Media bias is so much more than just about whether you write a true story, it’s about which stories you decide to cover in the first place. I noticed this at a previous employer; our site was running anti-Elon Musk stories far too frequently, in my opinion (and I’m not a Musk fanboy at all). Every time an Autopilot failure happened we wrote a story. Every time Elon tweeted something dumb, we wrote a story. Were these things real? Yes. Were they technically newsworthy? Sure. But every now and then you have to step back and question whether the whole of your coverage fairly represents a situation, and at the old shop it seemed like the whole of our coverage implied that Elon was a dingus and that Autopilot was useless garbage — neither of which are true.
As for the Sun, the whole of its coverage would lead one to surmise that electric cars are awful, and as a regular EV user and car journalist who covers EVs, I can tell you: This is so far from true. Here are some of the stories The Sun has written recently:
Again, these stories may be 100 percent accurate (I doubt it, but let’s roll with it), but that still doesn’t mean the coverage isn’t deeply biased. Again, it’s not just about whether a publication writes a true story, it’s about what they choose to cover in the first place.
It’s also about providing context, and that’s what both The Sun and the reel commenters seem to be lacking.
My Nissan Leaf Situation Is Hardly A Microcosm For EV Ownership At Large
My Nissan Leaf does not in any way represent a typical EV ownership experience, and in truth, I could have easily avoided being stranded. My reel was meant mostly to criticize Electrify America, a company whose chargers are known for being dodgy. For me to arrive at a station and see three out of four chargers broken, and two cars waiting to juice up, was frustrating. I think anyone would have been a bit annoyed in that situation.
But not only did I get out of that situation unscathed thanks to a local charger that worked just fine (but was a bit slow, partly because the Leaf’s Level 2 charging is limited to 3.3kW), but I could have avoided that conundrum quite easily.
First off, I knew that my Nissan Leaf’s range was severely limited. I should have planned accordingly, and there are a number of apps out there to help me do that. EV Navigation, for example, accounts for elevation change, which was a factor in depleting my Nissan Leaf’s severely degraded battery pack perhaps a bit more quickly than I’d anticipated. PlugShare is a very common app that, had I been more used to charging on the road (I generally charge at home and at work), I’d have already had in my arsenal, and that would have told me that the three Electrify America plugs were broken.
In large part, me being stranded was my own doing. Were there some chargers broken? Yes. Does my EV only have 15 miles of range due to severe degradation? Yes. And if you just reported these facts without context, as The Sun did (for the most part), then sure, EVs would seem like a pretty bad proposition.
View this post on Instagram
But the car cost me $1000 (after a rebate). That’s dirt cheap. And its battery degradation is due largely to poor thermal management, and is not at all indicative of the degradation you can expect from most modern EVs (earlier EVs like my BMW i3 also had issues on this front, to be sure).
The truth is that I got stranded not because EV batteries are crap (modern EV batteries have been shown to last much longer with minimal degradation) and not because our infrastructure is that awful here in California, but because my car is a dirt cheap junker, I did not plan properly, and this particular Electrify America station wasn’t well maintained.
A $1000 Nissan Leaf at one faulty Electrify America charging station does not represent EV ownership as a whole. Not by far. So Instagrammer cwhiten11, you can relax with your comment:
Ya’ll better share TF out of this video before they delete it. This is EXACTLY what we all been saying.
I’m not deleting that clip, as it did happen, though I know it’s being unfairly weaponized to push an anti-EV agenda.
What’s The Takeaway, Here?
I want to be clear that, hidden in some of the rather alarming language, there are some valid criticisms of EV ownership in these comments.
Regardless of what these “experts” are telling the sheep, EV’s are basically only good for shorter commutes… dependable extended range commuting is not a valid option at this time and this happens more frequently than most people realize. I drive by a large charging station a couple times per week and it is full of vehicles without anyone near by… where are the drivers of these vehicles at at 5a??? They are not eating or shopping while the cars are charging…
Electric cars or one of the biggest . You’re not saving any money 25 $30 to charge your car takes an hour I’m gonna blow right past you in my fossil breathing dragon. Under five minutes to put gas in it at the end of the night. I’m home with my family and you’re out there Dicken around. Looking for a charger. Congratulations she just became a statistic of the government.You are now a puppet.
The Sun says
> David, of California
Don’t they know who they’re taking about here?!
I haven’t read a single comment yet, but this is why I only comment on this site. These are good people. The internet is chock full of comments from uneducated folks who sound like preteens who think they’ve figured it all out but have no clue.
I do agree major media has gone downhill to the just pandering to whatever gets eyeballs.
The internet brought us here with user anonymity. Any fool can say stupid things they want with impunity.
I’m not sure “major media” has gone downhill so much as lower-quality media companies have become more prominent. The Sun has been around and trash for over 50 years.
Tsk tsk.
Get it together internet people!
*backs out of comments section slowly*
It must’ve been really hard to keep your sanity parsing through all of those vile comments. Granted, you had to know posting your troubles with finding a place to charge a juiced-out Leaf was like leaving an open can of orange Fanta near a nest of Yellowjackets.
I think these folks are baffled by the real world, and feel powerless in it, so they burrow into a fantasy world full of angels, demons and conspiracies. It gets them nowhere but at least they feel better.
It would be really interesting to meet a few of these people to see just what it is that drives them to being such online assholes.
For your next story, David, write about getting a Covid vaccination and then catching a cold the next day. I’ll bet the very same people who commented on your EV story would be back to comment on that. (Except it would be the vaccines that are out to control us, not the EVs).
Wait until they find out how many of your ICE vehicles are also steaming piles of shit lol.
Reading all those comments just makes me want to give you a hug before running into the crowd and beating the shit out of as many of those fuckers as I can before they inevitably tear me apart limb from limb like a zombie horde.
I loled
The Ultimate Solution: David needs to hang a set of Truck Nutz off of the back of the Leaf. Increase the masculinity factor 10X!
Good lord, some people need to increase their Sanka intake. (You young kids can Google Sanka).
I’m old and had to google it…, dang I must be stupid – hey did you just call me stupid?
And so begins the destruction of civilization as we know it, one internet blog comment at a time.
My favorite part is that most of these rational human beings own and operate a motor vehicle on the same roads we do! Just think, that dude next you at a light? Spends 36% of his day thinking about how the government is going to prevent him from getting to Applebees. It really helps me sleep at night knowing 4/10ths of America has totally lost the plot because Facebook is their best friend. And they love large vehicles and dislike traffic laws. Perfect situation, no notes.
I don’t think it’s quite that high a proportion, but it’s definitely a large proportion.
I am truly amazed how one of the haters took the concept of a 15min city and flipped it as a method of crowd control. I mean, I don’t even.
i think this is an existential threat to the autopian (that’s us!).
the nightmare scenario i fear is that the autopian be overrun by ill-informed malicious political-agenda commenters…and true autopians – and our shared enthusiasm for cars – get drowned out in a tidal wave of vile comments to the extent this beautiful experiment stalls or fails.
i believe staff tries to moderate the comments…but there is so much hate in the world…
i really really really like this site, i hope it doesn’t go the way many others have. like others, i’ve detected a rise in nasty-ness in these comments recently, even some trolls.
it’s hard to build and grow something, it’s easy to destroy it.
Walk softly and carry a big, BIG banhammer.
I feel that too. Just seems there’s been a number of snarky comments posted just to pull replies. It’sad if true.
The “community” that is most vocal on the The Drive certainly puts a damper on my engagement.
WOW…while I’ve been on the internet long enough to not be surprised by the comments, I can’t believe you read through so many of them. O_o You need some kind of hazard pay for that.
Is Peter getting hazard pay? I hope Peter’s getting hazard pay.
(I do not miss handling social media.)
Also, Elon IS a dingus—or to reframe that in less inflammatory terms, it’s become pretty obvious now that he isn’t the big business brain that many outlets portrayed him as before. However, you’re right that not every fart noise he makes is newsworthy to the transportation beat.
I don’t think Musk is as stupid as he acts at times, he just has some all-consuming personality disorder that often prevents him from acting rationally and causes him to demand constant praise and attention. Add to that extreme wealth, fame and a background that did not seem to leave him well equipped to navigate social situations and we can all see the results.
So much this, and I’m sorry it’s happened to you.
I’ve owned at least 50 vehicles in my lifetime, have had a variety of hybrids and PHEVs, and now own a BEV. It works out well for me as most of my trips are within 100 miles of my house. I charge at home 99% of the time, but if I drive into work, there are L2 chargers, which boost the battery a bit to head home, especially in northeast US winters.
I don’t talk about my car much because of the microcephalic mouthbreathers on the Internet that can’t have a discussion or rational debate; it’s just “battery bad, gasoline good,” or “I have to tow my ocean liner across the country every week, how dare the government mention EVs!” I also get the “you fell for the stupid liberal agenda” spiel from an in-law. It’s crazy.
50? Jeez man.
No worries, it wasn’t all at once. 🙂
IIRC, the most I owned at one time was 4 cars (330i, 528iT, Wrangler, and a 1970 Mini) and a motorcycle (K1200RS). Amazingly, I only own one car right now.
I think you won the internet today, David. I was taken by the comments about “shutting off the electricity”, as if gas could never be turned off. Besides this, I think you have found your peak internet, and was not very surprised.
I’m never Nissan, but I wholeheartedly support you and this car. I would suggest Toecutters advice to pull the battery and go David Tracy on it (not Jason Torchinsky, that would not be good). This is the new wrenching, and it’s this Leaf that brought you to it. Embrace the warm hug of electrons.
Bad idea, Nissan Leafs (leaves?) seem to catch on fire when you do that. 😛
LEAF is stylized in all caps because Nissan made it a backronym for “Leading Environmentally-friendly Affordable Family car.” Not sure if that’s on any of their current material, but I think that makes the plural “LEAFs” (or, if you’re in Michigan, LEAF’s)
It’s okay, the Leaf hasn’t got enough electrons left to do any meaningful harm. It probably could power an electric blanket though, so it’s not all bad.
“not Jason Torchinsky”
Same Nissan Leaf with terrible range but amber turn signals.
For real. Do they have no idea how the entire supply chain for oil and gas works? Did they completely miss the ’70s oil crisis? Do schools not teach the Malaise Era anymore?! There are major issues with any form of power delivery.
critical thinking is for losers, duh
Even as someone who knows this, it was still eye opening for me to stand next to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline outside of Fairbanks and acknowledge that is literally one giant-ass pipe running thousands of miles, and this is where a lot of our gasoline comes from. Very tangible.
Yeeeeep. Even from within the country, if The Man wanted to shut it all down to activate the 5G sensors in our precious bodily fluids or whatever, they could just shut off the pipes.
Home schools don’t teach those liberal lies!
I guess they never thought about how gas pumps are powered. If “they” shut off the electricity, no more pumping of gas. However, if you had some form of personally owned electrical generation, you could still charge an EV. So now which method of transportation would “put it to the man”?
Errrrm, I’ve got a bicycle I nicknamed “reliable transportation,” but its range only lasts about as long as my morning coffee.
Probably not the best option for making a beeline out of the country.
What? New technology isn’t perfect? Wow! These luddites would have been out there in 1923 saying my “horse doesn’t break down! I don’t need to run my horse on gasoline.”
Ha ha! And from 1900 – 1923, they’d have been saying “Electric cars are tools of the devil!” Oh wait, we’ve just come full circle.
Taking that further, batteries were what killed this then too. Gas was easier to innovate and profit from back then. It’s taken us 100 years to figure out the storage density issues with electricity, and we still aren’t there!
Of course the new technology isn’t perfect, the issue is the huge push by the media, the government, and Tesla stans that in fact the new technology is perfect.
Ignore the MAGA mouthbreathers. They’re a small, barely literate, and stupid as hell minority. They rely on Russian disinformation for their talking points, and then forward on thinking it makes them sound smart or witty. They are the very worst of us.
The actual subject matter (EVs and their issues) aren’t relevant in the least. For those people arguments are macguffins, the only thing that matters is promoting their vitriol. They paradoxically shout about liberty all the time, hoping to control you through fear.
Respectfully, this is not a “both sides” problem. Every toxic dog pile I’ve seen over the last decade or so has been a right-wing word brawl. They come out of their basements en masse to torch people’s sense of well being. Scholars call this “stochastic terrorism“.
Never have I seen a liberal or progressive impugn someone’s manhood or reduce them to misogynistic dog whistles. I’m sure it happens, but it’s vanishingly rare.
Mostly true, but I have to admit that I have seen folks who would otherwise be against body-shaming or questioning someone’s masculinity who don’t shy away from saying people are compensating for small dicks.
Not nearly the same level of vitriol, but it happens.
-Piston Slap esq.
I generally see it in discussions about guns and pickups. Again, not the same level, but saying it almost never happens just gives people who want to twist things ammo.
Liberals say guys in large pickups or who are gun nuts have small dicks. It happens. It is not at all the same as telling someone to go kill themselves or that their very identity is invalid.
Right winger vitriol is well beyond what liberals throw out. But let’s not pretend they are the only ones impugning manhood, or they’re going to pretend it invalidates everything else about the argument against this being a both sides issue.
Many people seem to think that insults against people’s appearances or presumed sexual capabilities are perfectly okay if the person they’re insulting is bad enough. The same with aspersions against people’s education or upbringing. Sarcastic remarks about GEDs and trailer parks, stuff like that.
Even those progressives who will, in sober discussion, admit that many Trump supporters are members of a victimized underclass co-opted by their rulers with the hypnotic vision of nationalist cultural solidarity, resort to insults as intolerant as those of their opponents as soon as things get heated online.
It’s hypocrisy and it’s coming from the people claiming to be the adults in the room. I like to think these are errors of judgement, emotion dominating reason, but in my more cynical moments I think a terrifying number of seemingly ordinary people of all persuasions are just waiting for permission to unleash their cruelty on a lawful target. And there will always be someone to provide one.
I also think it’s made easier because a lot of people won’t call out those kinds of comments made by someone they perceive to be on their side. Maybe they’re even glad someone is saying the thing that they feel puts someone in their place, even if they aren’t sure it is the right way to do it.
We probably all need to be better about calling out shitty behaviors among those we agree with. Not waiting for it to go to far and then ostracising someone. Not berating someone for a moment of weakness. Just saying something when they resort to commenting on dick size or appearance or whatever. It’ll also help keep us more aware when we are tempted to do it.
Drew, your wiener size is inversely related to the number of comments on the Autopian! Take that!!!! 🙂
Shit, mine must be so far in the negative it’s a tail!
When I owned a Honda Beat I joked that if lifted bro-dozers exist to compensate for tiny manhoods that I must be packing a brobdingnagian bratwurst.
It didn’t seem partisan at the time …
All I’m saying is that you said that it’s only right-wingers impugning manhood. You’re right that commenting about someone having a small penis appears to be nonpartisan. Right-wingers do it with men they think of as less masculine, such as vegans or EV drivers. Liberals do it with people who seem to be concerned with projecting masculinity, such as guys in lifted pickups or people who open carry guns everywhere.
We don’t need to speculate about dick size to criticize those decisions, but it happens a lot.
Yeah except I’m not saying it because they have a big truck, I’m saying because all of their opinions and decisions and stances come from a direction of trying to act like a tough badass, and projecting this machismo bullshit that says “facts over feelings, bitch” while simultaneously being unable to acknowledge facts, and mostly just repeat feelings.
Imho, that whole vibe just reeks of insecurity and over compensation, which drives the persona to make all sorts of choices, including but not limited too:
I’d put money on it; it just makes so much sense to me that there’d be a big correlation.
Nope, they’ll just march in support of murdering jews. Seriously, wtf? Liberals and progressive have plenty of issues.
Your comment is a platinum example of my point: it’s wildly inaccurate and intended to fan the flames of anger and intolerance.
Mazel tov, for all the wrong reasons sir.
Wildly inaccurate? You need to vet your news sources sir. Denial isn’t a river in Egypt.
Okay, I’ll waste some time on your dumb Red Herring:
The dialog I’m hearing is Israel needs to acknowledge Gaza is teeming with women and children with nowhere to shelter from Israeli bombs. I guess to far-right dishonest ideologues this is the same as advocating for the murder of Jews.
I’m a progressive and I’m all for Hamas getting its clock cleaned, but they’re sheltering among millions of people whose only crime is being born into an open air prison.
No Democrats are advocating “in support of murdering Jews”. Only a dimwit would claim so or someone trying to inspire anger and chaos.
Or someone that watches Omar and Tlaib. They’re not democrats?
So Ilhan Omar & Rashida Tlaib are “in support of murdering Jews”? Show me where they said this or GTFO.
You continue to prove my contention that right wing comments are generally incendiary rhetoric designed to induce anger. Don’t forget to insult David Tracy for owning a Leaf or they’ll revoke your dimwit card.
Err, who cares what car you own? David knew the jankyness he was embracing and it bit him, as he himself pontificated that it would. No harm no foul. As for Omar and Tlaib, they supported the marches and immediately issued statements supporting “Palistinians” after a murderous rampage against Israelis. People murdered, and they jumped to the defense of the murderers (Oh those poor oppressed tools ^h^h^h^h^h people!) If you can’t see how they were making excuses for Hamas you are truly blind, It doesn’t matter what I say because you are locked to a narrative and can’t break out of it. Good luck with that.
You didn’t answer my question so I’m asking again: you wrote that Ilhan Omar & Rashida Tlaib are “in support of murdering Jews”. Show me where they said this or GTFO.
You continue to prove my contention that right wing comments are typically incendiary rhetoric designed to induce anger and not useful dialog.
Here ya go, sport: https://www.axios.com/2023/10/11/squad-democrats-israel-hamas-tensions The “heartbreaking cycle of violence” = “Slaughtering and raping innocent men, women and babies with no remorse, live-streaming it, and bragging about it” is okay because Hamas loves to build their stuff where there will be civilian casualties. This is what condoning murder looks like you moron. And this is insanely well documented, too. I[d like to see you sit through the videos that the IDF put together from their captured camera sources and continue to support this view.
You literally posted a link containing no Democrat congressional members saying they’re “in favor of murdering Jews”.
Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) calling to end “unconditional” military aid is not the thing you claim it to be. AOC calling for “de-escalation” between the two sides is also not advocating “in favor of murdering Jews”.
You sir are an astonishing dimwit – and continue to prove my point that far-right trolls only seek to inflame anger rather create dialog.
Cheers.
Supporting a free Palestine isn’t support for the murder of Jewish people, or even of Israelis. Recognizing the atrocities Palestinians have faced at the hands of Israel doesn’t require you to support murdering anyone.
There is no Palestine. If you’re speaking of the Mandatory Palestine as enforced by the British after they finished taking down the rotted corpse of the Ottomans, it has far less relevance than the historical and well documented claims of the people who were dispersed as slaves. When they speak of “From the river to the sea, Palestine must be free!” They’re talking about eliminating Israel. So yes, you are implicitly calling for the jews to be “eliminated”. Hamas, an elected organization and pawn of Iran just blew up any possibility of any of the current agreements working out. Nobody knows what happens now.
It’s funny because the right only cares about Israelis when it gives them a chance to make up a straw man against the liberals.
Yeah, sure. The evangelicals that support the holy land are all progressives. Sure.
Couldn’t answer my direct question so instead you’re making baseless arguments at other people.
You continue to prove my point.
Apparently you live in a hole. I guess if you feel bad about it, it didn’t count: https://nypost.com/2023/10/15/petition-mounts-to-oust-ivy-league-columbia-prof-who-praised-hamas-attack-as-awesome/
So that doofus is a congressman? Or am I missing something? You stated Ilhan Omar & Rashida Tlaib are “in support of murdering Jews” and I called you on it. So your answer is some random dumbass = congressional members advocating “in support of murdering Jews”?
Enough with the Red Herrings dude. You prove my point that far-right trolls only seek to insight anger, not dialog.
I’ll go the other way. I guarantee people who act like that have tiny dicks. I would be my entire life savings on those viewpoints aligning with smaller than average penis sizes.
I figure their penis size is irrelevant, but their feelings of insecurity are likely a driving factor. Speculative dick measuring just exacerbates that and encourages them to do more of this.
I’m shocked this story hasn’t hit the NY Post yet.
Things that make you go hmmmm. True story $1,000 cars suck and even finding an ICE vehicle for $1,000 is hard and likely to fail on you. Sure if the government shuts down electricity you are stuck. Hey remind me what do gas pumps run on? I guess they can shut you down either way unless you have an EV and home solar panels.
Likely to fail on you perhaps, but also likely to have a range of more than 20 miles, and even when you do run out of range, you can refuel it at a gas station that works.
A $1,000 car isn’t very likely to run and drive for any distance on the roads David was on, even with a full tank of gas.
Bringing logic and facts to this cluster is a bold strategy.
Yeah yesterday I decided to go in a different direction from usual.
It didn’t go unnoticed
It’s nice to be a recognized author. Thanks. Lol
In Canada the pricing between used EVs and ICE vehicles is more extreme. Cheapest Leaf within 100 km of my house is $8000 (CAD). I just bought a 2005 V70 for $1000, spent <$800 in parts to pass safety. While I would buy a 2K EV, they just don’t exist around here.
My opinion of people is reaffirmed. Put them behind a screen and they rapidly devolve in to unthinking assholes for the most part. I can’t honestly think of any people I hate so much I want them to kill themselves in my personal life, so I can’t fathom talking shit like that to a stranger. I have no serious reason to hate strangers. I love the U.S., but damn is it full of a bunch of people I don’t particularly care for.
Mocking you for being EV stoog is as ridiculous as mocking David Frieburger for buying a Prius way back when on Roadkill.
Sorry you got to be the brunt of “people suck” David.
A couple of points: it really shouldn’t matter what form of vehicle people are into. Electric cars have been around forever, they’ve got a fandom, and they are interesting. This is like the cringiest part of the car community, but on a global scale. People who think your vehicle is inferior for . Let people enjoy their hobby. A $2000 electric car for scooting around town isn’t an affront to the American way of life.
And second, why is it that the most vocal people can’t figure out spelling and grammar? A large number of these people forgot one of the golden rules of the internet: if you’re going to insult someone, use proper grammar. You look like an idiot when you’re an adult who can’t tell the difference between you’re and your
Omg this. It makes my left eye twitch when someone is so confidently mean about something, yet is entirely incapable of writing “their,” “you’re.” or “brake.”
Obviously, avoiding looking like idiots is pretty low on their priority lists.
Ooof. Stay safe out there fam.