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Luddite Award finalist: Texas, New Jersey, Arizona, Michigan - please help them win

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Auzie

Tree Hugger Member
Jul 29, 2013
1,898
45
Sydney
Michigan, New Jersey, Texas and Arizona named as finalists for 2014 Luddite Awards.

The term Luddite has become a common insult to describe people who are opposed to inevitable technology innovations, deriving its origin from craftsmen who opposed mechanized textile innovations in the 19th Century.

The first ever Luddite Award, which is expected to be given out on February 5, by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) may be deservedly slapped on Texas, New Jersey, Arizona and Michigan. These 4 states have banned Tesla from bypassing auto dealership model to sell cars directly.

"The central challenge of our time is the need to rapidly increase living standards and quality of life for all of the world's citizens," said Robert Atkinson, president of ITIF, in a statement. "Innovation and technological development are absolutely essential to achieving this goal, but increasingly interests are uniting to thwart technology at every corner. By highlighting the most egregious examples of these efforts we hope to better educate the public and policymakers on why Luddite opposition is profoundly mistaken."

The quartet of four shamed states sit among other nominees for the award too, including the National Rifle Association for its opposition to Smart Guns, the state of New York for its crackdown on Airbnb, and interestingly, the Electronic Frontier Foundation for its opposition to Health IT.

These ‘neo-Luddites’ have worked to convince the public and policymakers that technological innovation is something to be feared and contained,” writes the ITIF in its official press release. “Their targets include genetically modified organisms, new Internet apps, smart meters, health IT, big data and increasingly productivity itself

The ITIF welcomes votes from members of the public for the nominee they'd most like to win the award..

 
Part of the reasons that dealers pressure their state governments for these inane protectionist laws is because EV technology (requiring less maintenance) reduces dealer income...I agree with the OP that the term Luddite applies...

I don't think the Luddite term really applies. It isn't a reaction against technology. It's more of a crony capitalism, political protectionism, big union mentality.
 
Full text describing the "Awards":

http://www2.itif.org/2015-luddite-awards.pdf

Referring to those four states and Tesla, they do mean activity beyond political corruption blocking a business practice because its trying to hinder sales of a entirely new car platform (Model S and successors). In history they cite (page 4) that, in the 1920s, the Horse Association of America, the Master Horseshoers National Protection Association, the National Hay Association, and their ilk campaigned to block use of trucks on public roads. The innovation of the truck threatened both sale and maintenance (horseshoes, etc.) of horses and their accessories.

That sounds awfully familiar: the innovation of the Model S creates a new business model (online sales, $600 annual service) that threatens demand for sale and maintenance of gas cars and their accessories, which is the lifeblood of the dealerships, which fund _this_ instance of corruption. Dealerships use corruption to keep out the innovation that will make today's dealerships worthless.

Yes, the bad guys in this story are politically corrupt and cronies, but I think the Luddite award fits too because they are blocking innovation's inevitable effects. We should expose those Luddites for who they are.


P. S. Remember the 80s when the "Betamax case" went to the Supreme Court? Movie studios tried to block the VCR. Same thing. A decade later they made money off the VCR.
 
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Ok, I voted for these states to get the Luddite Award! I agree with bollar. Texas' law isn't new but it did serve as the basis for excluding Tesla vehicles from the list of EV and alternative fuel vehicles eligible for a Texas $2,500 incentive for reduced emissions. Somehow, the Texas Auto Dealers Association and lawmakers got together and decided that Tesla's ZERO EMISSIONS vehicles should qualify because they are not sold by an entity that can legally sell or lease vehicles to consumers in the State of Texas. Vote, People! PLEASE!!!
 
But wasn't that the origin of Ludditism in the first place?
The craftsmen were afraid of loosing their business to mechanized textile manufacturing.

To become a new term or label in language usage requires a shift away from the original, logical basis to a broader characterization that often borders on the absurd. As in Nast drawing a cartoon icon which instantly imbeds in the national psyche.
--
 
To become a new term or label in language usage requires a shift away from the original, logical basis to a broader characterization that often borders on the absurd. As in Nast drawing a cartoon icon which instantly imbeds in the national psyche.
--

I was merely making the point that Luddites originally weren't opposed to technology as much as their perceived effects of said technology. In many ways, Luddites probably weren't all that wrong. Mass manufacturing killed many qualities of craftsmanship and cost entire professions their jobs. But still, they were on the wrong side of history, of course.

I leave it to others define what Ludditism today means.
 
I was merely making the point that Luddites originally weren't opposed to technology as much as their perceived effects of said technology. In many ways, Luddites probably weren't all that wrong. Mass manufacturing killed many qualities of craftsmanship and cost entire professions their jobs. But still, they were on the wrong side of history, of course.

I leave it to others define what Ludditism today means.

Agree with you that Luddites fear was not misplaced, it was spot on. I see similar fear on people's faces very often.

That fear can be summed along these lines: The world around me is changing. The change may be beneficial for society, but it displaces me and my skills. How will I survive?

Some unfortunate Luddites get crushed by a change, some find alternative paths to economic existence.

It may be that this term and what it represents will disappear after combating factors that perpetuate that fear, like age discrimination, lack of basic portable health cover, free training, education and similar.
 
Nicolo Machiavelli's words on innovator, from Prince, fit so nicely here:

"Because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new. This coolness arises partly from fear of the opponents, who have the laws on their side, and partly from the incredulity of men, who do not readily believe in new things until they have had a long experience of them"
 
Nicolo Machiavelli's words on innovator, from Prince, fit so nicely here:

"Because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new. This coolness arises partly from fear of the opponents, who have the laws on their side, and partly from the incredulity of men, who do not readily believe in new things until they have had a long experience of them"

Great quotation! The bolded bit is the real key, in my opinion. That is the essence of the luddite.
 

Timeless Machiavelli again:

"It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles"

That fear of change that brings personal loss is so understandable and familiar to many.

What sets the the states (and their dealers) apart, making them very fitting Luddite Award winners, is the degree to which they are prepared to go to fight Tesla and preserve the self serving status quo.

Here is Machiavelli's advice for dealers:

"Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times"
 
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