Pessimists Archive Newsletter

Share this post

πŸ—ž π™ΏπšŽπšœπšœπš’πš–πš’πšœπšπšœ π™°πš›πšŒπš‘πš’πšŸπšŽ Roundup

newsletter.pessimistsarchive.org

πŸ—ž π™ΏπšŽπšœπšœπš’πš–πš’πšœπšπšœ π™°πš›πšŒπš‘πš’πšŸπšŽ Roundup

Pessimists Archive
Sep 27, 2021
Share this post

πŸ—ž π™ΏπšŽπšœπšœπš’πš–πš’πšœπšπšœ π™°πš›πšŒπš‘πš’πšŸπšŽ Roundup

newsletter.pessimistsarchive.org

✈️ Plane Stupid (1928)

In 1928 a writer for The New York Times compared airplane skepticism to similar reactions regarding horseless carriages and the bicycle - the piece is very relevant today and can be heard read aloud in our new episode of Pessimists Aloud.

The New York Times, December 23, 1928

LISTEN

The most interesting quote from the article is a concern regarding horseless carriages and what would happen when the intelligence of a horse was no longer helping guided the vehicle, relevant today in the context of self-driving car technology:

β€œWe should not overlook the fact that the driving of a horseless carriage calls for a larger amount of attention for he has not the advantage of the intelligence of the horse in shaping his path…”

We did an analysis of the piece and how it applies to modern day for self-driving car company Argo.AI, check it out below:

Twitter avatar for @GTautonomy
Ground Truth @GTautonomy
The bicycle, the car, the airplane: what do all these modes of transportation have in common? They were all ridiculed when first introduced, before becoming commonplace. Read Louis Anslow from @PessimistsArc on the forgotten skepticism of the past:
groundtruth.coβ€œGet a Horse!”: What Early Reactions to Bicycles, Automobiles, and Airplanes Can Teach Us About Self-DrivingEvery time a new technology rolls out--whether it’s a horseless carriage (aka a car), airplane, or self-driving vehicle--it’s met with skepticism.
5:41 PM βˆ™ Sep 14, 2021
22Likes10Retweets

πŸ¦Ήβ€β™‚οΈ Comical Concern (1954)

The fear of comics and their influence on children was of high concern in the 1950s, and it was argued that there was a high correlation between comics and β€œjuvenile delinquency.” The front page below covered laws against the sale of β€˜crime-comics’:

β€œHere are the laws uncovered by State’s Attorney John Gutknecht and which he believes are strong enough to stop the distributions, sale and display of the crime-horror books accused by him, judges and psychiatrists of being largely responsible for the increase in juvenile delinquency:”

Suburbanite Economist from Chicago, Illinois Β· August 22, 1954 β€’ Page 21

πŸŽ₯ PERILS OF THE LAZY AGE (1928)

When the news that motion pictures had been successfully transmitted over the air, this piece mocked and ridiculed how lazy the modern man was becoming, saying β€œIt is one more indication that the machine age will coddle man in the lap of luxury until he is unable to stand on his own feet”

πŸ“° St. Joseph News-Press. Fri, Sep 07, 1928 Β· Page 30

The piece goes on to compare the modern man to an onion, saying:

β€œIt is one more symptom of the lazy spirit which is turning man from an animal into a vegetable, which is squeezing him of red blood until he takes on the complexion of an onion.”

All this would supposedly mean the US would never be able to produce great men like Lincoln again:

β€œEven their amusements are to be had by the turn of a switch. How in this environment, are we to produce any more Washingtons and Lincolns? How, Indeed?”

As one of our Twitter followers pointed out, it is slightly paradoxical to use Washington as an example of a prime man when he - in actuality - had slaves to do labor for him.

Twitter avatar for @seandehey
ghoultralaser @seandehey
omg this dude in 1928 is literally whining about ppl having RADIATORS in their apartments instead of WOOD STOVES, and then complains that this will never produce more washingtons while ignoring that WASHINGTON HAD SLAVES AND LIVED IN A MANSION, HE DIDN'T CHOP HIS OWN FKN FIREWOOD
newspaper clipping from the st joseph news press, 7 september 1928, on the "PERILS OF THE LAZY AGE", which opens with the news that motion pictures have been successfully transmitted over the radio then goes on to moral panic about this being one more one-too-many conveniences of the modern age that have made men soft and weak where before their forefathers had to fight to survive.
Twitter avatar for @PessimistsArc
Pessimists Archive @PessimistsArc
πŸŽ₯ PERILS OF THE LAZY AGE (1928) ❝The news that motion pictures have been transmitted successfully by radio is disconcerting to people who still believe in hardship as the path to virtue❞ https://t.co/RszfyFSfmv
11:30 AM βˆ™ Sep 26, 2021
22Likes3Retweets

πŸ’‰ De Ja Flu (1906)

As more and more reports of anti-vaxxer talking heads passing away due to COVID-19 surface, we were reminded of many reports from the past of the same thing happening - many around the 1918 pandemic. We don’t share this to mock, but to highlight the dangers of eschewing the miracles of modern medicine.

Twitter avatar for @PessimistsArc
Pessimists Archive @PessimistsArc
Image
Image
1:22 AM βˆ™ Sep 16, 2021
170Likes49Retweets

🚲 Fuck Boicycle (1897)

Early critiques of bicycles had a strong basis in the individual freedom it gave people, especially women, it is well known this made some men uncomfortable and lead to accusation of increased infidelity by women - but it went the other way too:

β€œIt is claimed the young men go off on their wheels and leave the young ladies to themselves.”

Twitter avatar for @PessimistsArc
Pessimists Archive @PessimistsArc
🚲 "And now the bicycles are being blamed for the falling off in marriages" (1897) pessimistsarchive.org/list/bicycle/c…
pessimistsarchive.orgPessimists ArchiveArchive of historical technological pessimism
9:33 AM βˆ™ Sep 23, 2021
28Likes8Retweets

Source: πŸ“° The Kenney Gazette - Fri, Jul 09, 1897 Β· Page 1


πŸ–ΌοΈ πŸͺŸ Picture Time (1910)

American humorist and novelist Mark Twain had no pictures hanging on his walls, he saw them as artificial and instead preferred the view out the window: β€œThe trouble with most houses is that there are too many pictures, and this is especially often the case where the natural beauty of the landscape ought not to be disregarded”

πŸ“° The Marshall Messenger, Sat, Oct 08, 1910 Β· Page 6

πŸ§Ÿβ€β™‚οΈ Jurassic Water Park (1938)

Incumbents hate technological disruption, this 1938 report on an anti-hydroelectric speech by a gas company rep. is a good example. A. M Beebee, the general superintendent of the Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation, had told the American Gas Association that:

Β β€œthe developing of hydro-electric power in a country with adequate coal reserves is β€œsuicidal folly”

πŸ“° The Kearney Daily Hub 1938 β€’ Thu, Oct 13, 1938 Β· Page 1

He went on to posit countries like Sweden and Canada, that use of hydro-electric power, should continue to do so, to β€œprevent a constant drain on their wealth” But that America should not:

β€œBut in our country, where unemployment is our greatest problem and the spreading of purchasing power our greatest need, such a development is a modern Frankenstein. β€œHydro” is our worst employer”

He finishes off by saying:

β€œThe quicker we develop the uses of coal the better. The more we develop water power the more we will delay those factors which are going to bring about the more abundant life”


Did a friend send you this? Subscribe to the newsletter:

Share this post

πŸ—ž π™ΏπšŽπšœπšœπš’πš–πš’πšœπšπšœ π™°πš›πšŒπš‘πš’πšŸπšŽ Roundup

newsletter.pessimistsarchive.org
Comments
TopNewCommunity

No posts

Ready for more?

Β© 2023 Pessimists Archive
Privacy βˆ™ Terms βˆ™ Collection notice
Start WritingGet the app
SubstackΒ is the home for great writing