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A spectacle for fools
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gigaqps
lemmy.world
gigaqps@lemmy.world
Joined: 2026-09-09
Posted:   Subject: A spectacle for fools Quote

885   Original
macniel
feddit.org

DmMacniel@feddit.org
Joined: 2024-06-22
#2 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Rights to repair hurts the bottom line of shareholders, its evil, communistic and socialistic!!!

21
flamingo_pinyata
sopuli.xyz
flamingo_pinyata@sopuli.xyz
Joined: 2023-08-17
#3 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

An neither gives you an actually good car

6
Diplomjodler
lemmy.world

Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-01-08
#4 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Ah yes, the good old communist Mercedes W123.

248
NaibofTabr
infosec.pub
NaibofTabr@infosec.pub
Joined: 2023-06-18
#5 Posted: · edited   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

This comparison is just head-up-ass silly without statistics.

There are 75+ year-old Ford F-1s running around, with their original engine blocks:

https://classiccars.com/listings/view/2115325/1948-ford-f1-for-sale-in-prescott-arizona-86305

https://classiccars.com/listings/find/all-years/ford/f1

brought to you by capitalism!

Even without that, any old car can be made to work if you throw parts and labor at it. This idea that "communism made a car that ran for 30 years" is completely worthless with a single example. What matters is how many were manufactured and how many of those are still functional at 5, 10, 15, 20+ years. One sample is bad statistics.

Capitalism also produced the world's most reliable and repairable pickup truck - the Toyota Hilux. If you were going to make a comparison just on lifetime operating hours vs. maintenance cost, Toyota would win globally no problem. If you were going to make a comparison based on operating hours in harsh conditions, Toyota would also win that.

48
macniel
feddit.org

DmMacniel@feddit.org
Joined: 2024-06-22
#6 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Ah yes, the good old communist Mercedes W123.

That is the peak chassis form, you may not like it, but its true.

32
Godric
lemmy.world

Godric@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-07-09
#7 Posted: · edited   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Is the Tesla a spectacle for fools? Yes, but:

The first vehicle I ever owned is a truck older than I am. It still runs, and does work.(Built in USA)

American tractors older than any of their operators are still being bought and sold. I grew up with one, still fucking runs.

You been to Cuba? Why is this they repair American cars older than anyone driving them, instead of importing and fixing Ruuskicars?

Dumb-ass comparison XD

15
jaybone
lemmy.zip
jaybone@lemmy.zip
Joined: 2025-02-08
#8 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Trabants were shit.

21
Kokesh
lemmy.world

kokesh@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-30
#9 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

I love the communist side of the picture - western car, but with bonnet up and no available spares

21
Gladaed
feddit.org

Gladaed@feddit.org
Joined: 2024-06-26
#10 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Comparing tech 50 years apart build for two very different purposes sure reads objectively.

Also Mr. Gas guzzler over there is unfit for today's world.

And cold gas thrusters cannot be that expensive in the whole scheme of all things supercar. They also put a vacuum in there soooo.

6
fullsquare
awful.systems

fullsquare@awful.systems
Joined: 2025-03-31
#11 Posted: · edited   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

TVs made to soviet design famously caught fire, this was before this all printed circuit board deal was perfected. they just used cardboard-like material for that, it was flammable, absorbed water over time, and there were too closely spaced traces with high voltage on them

People just don't remember shit that broke down quickly

27
fullsquare
awful.systems

fullsquare@awful.systems
Joined: 2025-03-31
#12 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

An neither gives you an actually good car

that's because the right thing is to switch to bike

16
BenLeMan
lemmy.world
BenLeMan@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-10-15
#13 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Trabants were shit.

And you had to wait ten years to get one.

In .ml terms that means you got 40 years of enjoyment out of your communist car!

21
Cris_Citrus (he/him <3)
piefed.zip

Cris_Citrus@piefed.zip
Joined: 2026-02-26
#14 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Ah yes, the good old communist Mercedes W123.

Was it actually a communist car? Trying to sift through info online it looks like it was made by west Germany, which I associate with the western postwar powers, but I really dont know much about any of this

Anyone know if it was a particularly good car?

9
makeshift0546
lemmy.today
makeshift0546@lemmy.today
Joined: 2026-05-11
#15 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

This is easily the most retarded thing I’ll see on the Internet today 🤣 feel bad.

-5
Diplomjodler
lemmy.world

Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-01-08
#16 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Was it actually a communist car? Trying to sift through info online it looks like it was made by west Germany, which I associate with the western postwar powers, but I really dont know much about any of this Anyone know if it was a particularly good car?

It's a Mercedes, which is pretty much a symbol of German capitalism. I was trying to point out the irony of using this as a talking point to support communism.

60
GeneralEmergency
lemmy.world
GeneralEmergency@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-07-07
#17 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

The Lada Riva. That symbol of communism.

Was just a rebadged Fiat 124.

It was originally a capitalist invention that the commies took credit for.

22
Melonpoly
lemmy.world
Melonpoly@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-23
#18 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Have you done any research in communest cars? I like shitting on capitalism as much as the next guy but cumunist cars were unreliable as fuck.

9
Venator
lemmy.nz
Venator@lemmy.nz
Joined: 2023-12-28
#19 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Ah yes, the good old communist Mercedes W123.

I guess they were looking for a photo of a broken down lada but didn't find one 🤣

95
JensSpahnpasta
feddit.org

JensSpahnpasta@feddit.org
Joined: 2025-10-24
#20 Posted: · edited   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Trabants were shit.

They were kind of ok when they were launched in 1964. The thing is that east germany totally was not able to keep up with western tech and the politburo even forbid the manufacturer from improving the car. So they were still producing a 1964 car in 1989 with totally outdated tech. And they were not able to produce enough for the demand, leading to decades long waiting times

10
Venator
lemmy.nz
Venator@lemmy.nz
Joined: 2023-12-28
#21 Posted: · edited   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Was it actually a communist car? Trying to sift through info online it looks like it was made by west Germany, which I associate with the western postwar powers, but I really dont know much about any of this Anyone know if it was a particularly good car?

The deisel one is well known for being quite reliable and easy to keep running for a very long time. Also known for being very well built.

9
Diplomjodler
lemmy.world

Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-01-08
#22 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

The deisel one is well known for being quite reliable and easy to keep running for a very long time. Also known for being very well built.

They were built like tanks. But they drove like tanks too.

10
Diplomjodler
lemmy.world

Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-01-08
#23 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

They were kind of ok when they were launched in 1964. The thing is that east germany totally was not able to keep up with western tech and the politburo even forbid the manufacturer from improving the car. So they were still producing a 1964 car in 1989 with totally outdated tech. And they were not able to produce enough for the demand, leading to decades long waiting times

They were very outdated even in the 1960s. After the German reunification, people were simply abandoning them by the side of the road behause they literally had zero value.

7
Fleur_
aussie.zone
Fleur_@aussie.zone
Joined: 2025-04-23
#24 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Ah yes, the good old communist Mercedes W123.

Smh just found another communist Mercedes.

36
Synapse
lemmy.world

synapse1278@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-12
#25 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Neither capitalism or communism gives you reliable cars. What helps is good regulation for minimum warranty periods, mandatory maintenance and spare parts availability for 15+ years, interdictions of dark patterns (e.g: end user should be able to replace the headlamps, oil filter and such easily with basic tools). And also, industry standards, ODB2 for diagnostics for instance. And now, Cybersecurity and data privacy is super relevant, you don't want OEMs or bad actors to be able to disable your car remotely.

100
blackberry28
sh.itjust.works
blackberry28@sh.itjust.works
Joined: 2026-07-29
#26 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Communism gives you a 10 year wait for a car lol. And that's only if the authoritarian government in charge deems you worthy of it and you didn't do anything that might offend them.
Just look at the DDR (former eastern germany). Communism there worked well. NOT.

2
Hiro8811
lemmy.world

Hiro8811@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-11-16
#27 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

The Lada Riva. That symbol of communism. Was just a rebadged Fiat 124. It was originally a capitalist invention that the commies took credit for.

If you haven't seen already most if not all of USSR technology was stolen, and I wouldn't be surprised if tradition continued to Russia

9
AeronMelon
Moderator
aeronmelon@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-12-26
#28 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Smh just found another communist Mercedes.

Don’t ask Mercedes what they were doing between 1934 and 1945.

69
grahamja
reddthat.com
grahamja@reddthat.com
Joined: 2023-07-17
#29 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Neither capitalism or communism gives you reliable cars. What helps is good regulation for minimum warranty periods, mandatory maintenance and spare parts availability for 15+ years, interdictions of dark patterns (e.g: end user should be able to replace the headlamps, oil filter and such easily with basic tools). And also, industry standards, ODB2 for diagnostics for instance. And now, Cyberse...

I need respectable 90s Japanese cars that are competing to destroy the American automotive industry. But with electronic vehicles.

38
lime!
feddit.nu

lime@feddit.nu
Joined: 2024-08-21
#30 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Don’t ask Mercedes what they were doing between 1934 and 1945.

well you can, they're forced by law to acknowledge it.

27
lime!
feddit.nu

lime@feddit.nu
Joined: 2024-08-21
#31 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

TVs made to soviet design famously caught fire, this was before this all printed circuit board deal was perfected. they just used cardboard-like material for that, it was flammable, absorbed water over time, and there were too closely spaced traces with high voltage on them People just don't remember shit that broke down quickly

fr4? that's still the cheapest pcb material around. great for prototyping.

1
Peppycito
sh.itjust.works

Peppycito@sh.itjust.works
Joined: 2023-07-03
#32 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

They were built like tanks. But they drove like tanks too.

I lost the gas cap for one. The guy at the parts store laughed at me when I asked for a gas cap for a Mercedes, then he looked through the book said "Oh" and grabbed one from the shelf that had five of them on it. It's the same cap as tractors use.

11
Peppycito
sh.itjust.works

Peppycito@sh.itjust.works
Joined: 2023-07-03
#33 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

TVs made to soviet design famously caught fire, this was before this all printed circuit board deal was perfected. they just used cardboard-like material for that, it was flammable, absorbed water over time, and there were too closely spaced traces with high voltage on them People just don't remember shit that broke down quickly

TVs were hugely dangerous in the early days. People used to get electrocuted all the time. They had hugely high voltage and exploded sometimes.

11
Viking_Hippie
lemmy.dbzer0.com
Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com
Joined: 2024-12-04
#34 Posted: · edited   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

And you had to wait ten years to get one. In .ml terms that means you got 40 years of enjoyment out of your communist car!

Plus going 0-60 in five minutes gave you more time to bask in awe at all the slate gray brutalist architecture!

5
Jiral
lemmy.world
Jiral@lemmy.world
Joined: 2026-06-06
#35 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Smh just found another communist Mercedes.

Funny how communists didn't have a problem with that brand, isn't it?

3
MeatPilot
sh.itjust.works

MeatPilot@sh.itjust.works
Joined: 2025-10-27
#36 Posted: · edited   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Communism or Capitalism don't make things better or worse. Corruption makes things worse and regulations and oversight make them better.

Endless stories about garbage made on both sides leads to some greedy fucker rigging the system.

125
RememberTheApollo_
lemmy.world

RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-08-26
#37 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Don’t ask Mercedes what they were doing between 1934 and 1945.

And BMW, and Krupp, Hugo, Bayer, blah, blah…. Yeah. Any industry that could industry produced for the Reich.

I’m not saying that to be “everyone was doing it,” but wondering why the need to point out what historically is well known and definitely not a secret.

27
naught101
lemmy.world
naught101@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-05-08
#38 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Communism or Capitalism don't make things better or worse. Corruption makes things worse and regulations and oversight make them better. Endless stories about garbage made on both sides leads to some greedy fucker rigging the system.

Both make things worth. If you've got a bit of time on your hands, I can thoroughly recommend James Scott's book Seeing Like A State. Not many more clear eyed views of the recent history of social structures around.

5
naught101
lemmy.world
naught101@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-05-08
#39 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

I need respectable 90s Japanese cars that are competing to destroy the American automotive industry. But with electronic vehicles.

Yeah. Electric vehicles with no computers (beyond microcontrollers for batter chargers and stuff).

There was a period about 15 years ago where you going get a not stupidly expensive electric refit kit for a bunch of cars - someone I know did it with a 90s Rav4 for like $10k. Unfortunately they seem to be stupid expensive now.

11
Synapse
lemmy.world

synapse1278@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-12
#40 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Yeah. Electric vehicles with no computers (beyond microcontrollers for batter chargers and stuff). There was a period about 15 years ago where you going get a not stupidly expensive electric refit kit for a bunch of cars - someone I know did it with a 90s Rav4 for like $10k. Unfortunately they seem to be stupid expensive now.

In Europe we have Renault offering something in this segment with their new Twingo. Barebone simple EV for city driving and daily commute. It's priced around 13k€ new.

9
JonnyRobbie
lemmy.world

JonnyRobbie@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-13
#41 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

This comparison is just head-up-ass silly without statistics. There are 75+ year-old Ford F-1s running around, with their original engine blocks: https://classiccars.com/listings/view/2115325/1948-ford-f1-for-sale-in-prescott-arizona-86305 https://classiccars.com/listings/find/all-years/ford/f1 brought to you by capitalism! Even without that, any old car can be made to work if you throw parts a...

you’re making too much sense for some neomarxist kiddie dimwits here.

2
Proprietary_Blend
lemmy.world
Proprietary_Blend@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-12-25
#42 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

This is stupid

4
kunaltyagi
programming.dev
kunaltyagi@programming.dev
Joined: 2023-06-12
#43 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Don’t ask Mercedes what they were doing between 1934 and 1945.

Or IBM

17
kunaltyagi
programming.dev
kunaltyagi@programming.dev
Joined: 2023-06-12
#44 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Smh just found another communist Mercedes.

Nazi weren't communists. But you did find a Nazi car

3
kunaltyagi
programming.dev
kunaltyagi@programming.dev
Joined: 2023-06-12
#45 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

This comparison is just head-up-ass silly without statistics. There are 75+ year-old Ford F-1s running around, with their original engine blocks: https://classiccars.com/listings/view/2115325/1948-ford-f1-for-sale-in-prescott-arizona-86305 https://classiccars.com/listings/find/all-years/ford/f1 brought to you by capitalism! Even without that, any old car can be made to work if you throw parts a...

That's a capitalist car btw. Mercedes from West Germany

7
TrackenDaKracken
lemmy.world

TrackenDaKracken@lemmy.world
Joined: 2026-09-29
#46 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Trabants were shit.

https://fee.org/articles/the-worst-car-ever-a-brief-history-of-the-trabant/

It wasn’t that the Trabant had a weak two-stroke engine, though it did. It wasn’t just that the Trabant was made with recycled waste (usually from wool or cotton), though it was. It wasn’t that Trabants topped out at 60 mph and “smoked like an Iraqi oil fire,” as one writer put it.

No, the Trabant’s biggest problem was that it never really improved.

6
Zombie
feddit.uk
Zombie@feddit.uk
Joined: 2024-06-01
#47 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Nazi weren't communists. But you did find a Nazi car

15
SwingingTheLamp
piefed.zip
SwingingTheLamp@piefed.zip
Joined: 2025-12-27
#48 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

If you haven't seen already most if not all of USSR technology was stolen, and I wouldn't be surprised if tradition continued to Russia

I particularly enjoy the "stolen technology" line about Russia and China, because it's a tacit admission that capitalism works by keeping people deliberately poor and miserable so that a profit can be extracted from them.

1
nwtreeoctopus
sh.itjust.works
nwtreeoctopus@sh.itjust.works
Joined: 2024-08-05
#49 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Yeah. Electric vehicles with no computers (beyond microcontrollers for batter chargers and stuff). There was a period about 15 years ago where you going get a not stupidly expensive electric refit kit for a bunch of cars - someone I know did it with a 90s Rav4 for like $10k. Unfortunately they seem to be stupid expensive now.

Conversions for most cars are pretty lame. Battery placement is rough and mechanical losses from attaching an electric motor to a transmission for an ICE are significant. Conversions are cool but mostly a novelty.

I'd rather see some real bare-bones electrics, like the first Leafs, with the best battery tech we can toss in them.

11
Saapas
piefed.zip
Saapas@piefed.zip
Joined: 2025-11-23
#50 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Eastern Block cars definitely didn't have the reputation of working well. They were more known to be easy to repair, but they had to be since shit broke constantly lol

66
naught101
lemmy.world
naught101@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-05-08
#51 Posted:   Subject: Re: A spectacle for fools Quote Reply

Conversions for most cars are pretty lame. Battery placement is rough and mechanical losses from attaching an electric motor to a transmission for an ICE are significant. Conversions are cool but mostly a novelty. I'd rather see some real bare-bones electrics, like the first Leafs, with the best battery tech we can toss in them.

Yeah, for sure. Just gotta find a very large funder...

1
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