this post was submitted on 16 Jan 2026
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Fuck Cars

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I came across this while reading the book NeoDB Book | Life After Cars by by Sarah Goodyear, Doug Gordon, and Aaron Naparstek. Found it interesting as this is a guy that a lot of car enjoyers look up to.

From the book: "Henry Ford was, of course, the man most responsible for inaugurating mass production of the automobile—the man who refined the car as the ultimate expression of American consumer culture. He was also a man who had some exceptionally repellent ideas about “bloodlines.” As Jonathan Greenblatt of the Anti-Defamation League said on Twitter at the time of Trump’s remarks, “Henry Ford was an antisemite and one of America’s staunchest proponents of eugenics"

The book is great ! Would recommend. This is from a chapter called "Power Likes Horsepower", which explores the deep political and cultural ties between cars, power, and extremist ideologies in the U.S. and beyond. It traces how figures like Henry Ford used the automotive industry to promote divisive, often racist and anti-Semitic beliefs, and how modern politicians- like Donald Trump and JD Vance - continue to weaponize car-related rhetoric to fuel culture wars, resist climate action, and stoke fear over policies like electric vehicles or urban planning.

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[–] FenderStratocaster@lemmy.world 22 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (7 children)

Yeah, this is true he hated Jews and was a Union basher. He also employed blacks at equal pay when no one else would, popularized the weekend and leisure, supported education and healthcare, preserved history, and was the advent of vertical integration which arguably helped win WW1 and WW2.

I'm not saying he was a good dude, but history is history.

[–] Sharkticon@lemmy.zip 8 points 10 hours ago

Probably important to point out that he only used black employees to help bust unions and strike movements. Course if those unions weren't so fucking racist it wouldn't have worked. Kind of a mixed bag. Just goes to show that class solidarity is the only thing that matters.

[–] ch00f@lemmy.world 13 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

He also promoted teaching square dancing in schools to preserve the white culture that the Jews were somehow getting the blacks to destroy with jazz.

https://www.mic.com/articles/186892/how-square-dancing-became-a-weapon-of-white-supremacy-against-an-anti-semitic-jazz-dance-conspiracy

[–] FenderStratocaster@lemmy.world 9 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (1 children)

As a Detroiter who went to elementary school in the early 90's, his legacy lived on. I remember learning to square dance in school. I HATED it.

[–] ch00f@lemmy.world 5 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

I had to learn it in southern Virginia.

The same Virginia that at the time celebrated Lee Jackson King day.

[–] FenderStratocaster@lemmy.world 2 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Isn't that where Square dancing thrives? The white south?

[–] ch00f@lemmy.world 2 points 12 hours ago

Not where I was. Only ever saw square dancing in elementary school.

[–] Canconda@lemmy.ca 2 points 9 hours ago

Basic carrot and stick manipulation with a dash of divide and conquer.

Ford's German plants made tanks for Germany so anything they did on the american side is moot.

[–] DaMummy@hilariouschaos.com 2 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Yes, and Hitler loved art, dogs, and his own mother. See where I'm going with this?

[–] FenderStratocaster@lemmy.world -2 points 10 hours ago

I see that you are upset. I'm not sure why.

[–] chasteinsect@programming.dev 3 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Thanks for giving a more balanced perspective.

[–] FenderStratocaster@lemmy.world 4 points 12 hours ago

If you want to know more about a REAL bad man, look into Harry Bennett. Bennett was Ford's right hand man. He was going to give the company to Bennett, but Ford's wife convinced him to give it to Edsel Ford, his son, even though he didn't want to. He was essentially a mobster and criminal.

The automotive industry, which I currently work in, is full of a rich history of back door meetings and under the table deals. Hell, I live down the road from Jimmy Hoffa's house. It's all VERY interesting stuff.

[–] DrFistington@lemmy.world 1 points 12 hours ago

He was revolutionary in that he saw all people as equal slaves that could serve him. A true man of the people... The Jew hating ones at least...

[–] GeneralEmergency@lemmy.world -2 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Woah. It's almost as if people are complex creatures of opinions that aren't mutually exclusive.

Fucking crazy

[–] FenderStratocaster@lemmy.world 2 points 10 hours ago

Why are you acting like this?