During this year, we have lost 800,000 industrial jobs so far in Germany. And the trend continues. The question is: can we, in the face of all this massive loss, still afford to be a car-driving nation?
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It is very rare that production, once it has been moved to near- and off-shore countries, moves back home. The trend is in the opposite direction. Industrial production in Germany is massively decreasing. That is why the number of industrial jobs in Germany dwindles down at horrendous speed.
The process is easily understood: we have come to a stage where conventional production is not only transferred (outsourcing, near-shore, off-shore), but given to specialized sub-companies from the outset (sourcing). In other words, both the production and assembly of products is advertised. The business goes to the bidder with the best cost/performance ratio. As a general rule, that is no longer someone in Europe, let alone in Germany.
Technical progress, too, makes industrial jobs in Germany redundant. At the moment, for instance, all light bulb construction sites in Europe disappear. That is not just because light bulbs have been legally banned by the European Community, but also because the “product light” is now generated more and more often by LED. And LED’s are semi-conductors. Semi-conductor production sites can be installed and activated quickly in the open countryside. With conventional industrial products, such as the light bulb, the matter is different. There, the construction of the very proprietary product sites, too, was in the hands of the producer.
The light bulb is just one example for similar changes taking place all around us. Cars, too, will probably suffer from a severe production decrease in Germany. Facts such as sourcing and the technological change will not disappear just because some political “masterminds” keep telling us that growth will solve all the problems. It would be more appropriate and helpful if someone proposed a social concept that takes this development into account.
Now the question is how the standard of living can be maintained in Germany, regardless of this development.
The reality is simple. Our standard of living will decline on a widespread scale. There is less and less leeway. Either the difference between poor and rich will increase, or we find a common solution to the problem in a socially acceptable manner.
Luckily, our standard of living is extremely high. Consequently, there are many wealth reserves to draw upon. Our most important reserve factor is probably the car. For many persons and families, living without a car might be a possible way of maintaining their standard of living.
Thus, more and more people will have to do without a car of their own in the future. That is also possible in rural areas. I am thinking of car-sharing initiatives or flexible collector-taxi services. Since the production of cars in Germany dwindles, this will not be a huge problem economically. As compensation, new jobs will be created in the public transportation sector.
I look forward to this time, and I believe it will come sooner or later. Firstly, I think Germany will be more liveable and lovable without an excess of individualized traffic based on high-power vehicles with many horsepowers of combustion motor. Secondly, because I have practiced the car-free life for several years now, even though my job requires quite a bit of mobility.
Instead of driving a car, I use public transportation or my bike wherever possible. Of course, my Mac book and Smart phone are always on me. Shopping, too, is no problem without a car. I just take the bike with the bike trailer. Even this has its advantages. My logistics are truly end-to-end.
Substituting my car with my bike and public transportation has its rewards. When travelling, I can do a considerable part of my work. I can also be sociable and gain room for doing things I want to do.
And the kilometres I accumulate when riding my bike are hours spent in the fresh air that are quite beneficial for my fitness. “Renouncing” my car has made me a more content and healthier person.
Many people cannot understand this and are surprised to see me riding my bike to the office in the morning through the rain – and even enjoying it. For them, it is unconceivable how anybody can ride a bike through the rain or even snow. What they forget is that it is all just a matter of getting used to it, which, admittedly, takes a little discipline.
Most of our contemporaries feel handicapped without a car to sit in (the same is true if they have no mobile phone on them). I remember that it was the same when I was young. In a way, the car was part of us, almost like a living creature that understood us and stood by us. I recall quite well how a very dear friend of mine always waited until after the first 10 kilometres before turning on the radiator in winter. His motto was: better for me to be cold than my car.
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In this article, I tried to describe what I believe might be a valid approach. However, belonging to a generation that was more influenced by individualized traffic than any other, I am not so sure about these sober ideas of mine. Maybe everything will be completely different and people prefer going hungry to going without a car. For too many people, the car is irrationally important. These are probably the people who think my ideas are absolute nonsense.
Or maybe I am wrong and our society will come up with a new solution to the problem of maintaining our high standard of living. This is something only few regions of the world will succeed in. After all, the number of people currently suffering hunger is around 1 billion. That, too, is a price we pay for our wealth.
RMD
(Translated by EG)
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