Watching Cars Merge on the Freeway as an Example of Civilized Behavior

Look on the screen. This is where we are. This is who we are. (points to the Jumbotron screen which show traffic merging into a tunnel). These cars—that’s a schoolteacher who probably thinks his taxes are too high. He’s going to work. There’s another car-a woman with two small kids who can’t really think about anything else right now. There’s another car, swinging, I don’t even know if you can see it—the lady’s in the NRA and she loves Oprah. There’s another car—an investment banker, gay, also likes Oprah. Another car’s a Latino carpenter. Another car a fundamentalist vacuum salesman. Atheist obstetrician. Mormon Jay-Z fan. But this is us. Every one of the cars that you see is filled with individuals of strong belief and principles they hold dear—often principles and beliefs in direct opposition to their fellow travelers.

And yet these millions of cars must somehow find a way to squeeze one by one into a mile long 30 foot wide tunnel carved underneath a mighty river. Carved, by the way, by people who I’m sure had their differences. And they do it. Concession by concession. You go. Then I’ll go. You go. Then I’ll go. You go then I’ll go. Oh my God, is that an NRA sticker on your car? Is that an Obama sticker on your car? Well, that’s okay—you go and then I’ll go.

Notes:

Jon Stewart uses the example of traffic merging on the freeway as an example of the "we're all in it together" spirit of civilization, and how we all have each other's best interests at heart despite what extreme political pundits may say.

Folksonomies: centrism

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 Rally to Restore Sanity
Proceedings of Meetings and Symposia>Speech:  Stewart, Jon (October 30, 2010), Rally to Restore Sanity, Washington, DC, Retrieved on 2010-10-30
  • Source Material [www.examiner.com]
  • Folksonomies: centrism


    Triples

    30 NOV -0001

     Using Road Traffic as a Metaphor for Civilization

    Look at a Four Way Stop Intersection to See Why Civilization Works > Similarity > Watching Cars Merge on the Freeway as an Example of Civilized Behavior
    Jon Stewart and David Brin use freeway lanes merging and a four-way stop sign as demonstrations that human beings have a natural proclivity toward working with one another, and that society works because we can resolve disputes in a cordial fashion.
    Folksonomies: centrism
    Folksonomies: centrism