Who Will Decide the Future of the Automobile?

Today we sit with many concerns and worries for the future of our world. Currently, the US is in state where pivotal decisions must be made regarding the environment, foreign policy, and many domestic affairs. But how can a country decide on which direction they will choose to turn? Who is responsible enough to make these decisions? Should it be up to only the state and federal officials or should the country as a whole have some responsibility for their actions? Debate and public discourse give us the tools we need to criticize and evaluate the decisions/planning which a government undertakes. Specifically, when one decides as a citizen to participate in these important discussions they can become what is known as a public intellectual.

The modern public intellectual can have a presence almost anywhere these days. The Web 2.0 generation allows criticism to come about through many different types of forums. However, some feel that the public intellectual is starting to become an endangered species. The New Democratic Review’s article, The “Decline” of Public Intellectuals, professes why some feel that public intellectuals are starting to diminish. However, a limited view such as Richard Posner’s reveals fallacies throughout his argument;

His methodology forces him to disregard public intellectuals who discuss public philosophies and attitudes. However, these public intellectuals sometimes uncover implicit orientations and worldviews that, in turn, affect public decisions and actions.

Opponent’s of Posner such as Jean Bethke Elshtain state that the public intellectual function is criticism. She goes on to say and quote;

It is also, however, the obligation of every citizen in a democracy. Trained to it or not, all participants in a self-government are duty-bound to prod, poke, and pester the powerful institutions that would shape their lives. And so if public intellectuals have any role in a democracy—and they do—it’s simply to keep the pot boiling.

That shows that anyone can be a public intellectual if they choose to do so. Our ability to question and argue for and against policies can influence or shape how a country functions or becomes a growing democracy.

So, where are the public intellectuals in the automotive sector? These public intellectuals can come in different forms such as environmentalists, economists, and working citizens because they are one’s who often show concern for where this industry is going. For instance, Green Technology World’s Brendan Read is a business journalist/environmentalist whose concerns are deeply invested in the automotive industry. Read, who is a large advocate of teleworking is often working to reduce traffic congestion and pollution. His blogs criticizes companies like GM and Chrysler for their unwillingness to adapt to more environment friendly technology. Yet on the other hand, he praises companies such as Subaru for their innovation in both producing fuel-efficient products and developing green factory plants. Though public intellectuals such as Brendan are not as well known they are starting to have an impact on the future of the automobile. Grass-roots and awareness are the keys of influencing anything such as an automobile's design or a public policy that may provide funding to an auto plant. Through the discourses of public intellectuals and those hopefully of The Crankcase we can begin to have a well-rounded picture and promote discussion of what is happening in the world of the automobile.