TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2024
The Times keeps looking away: We've just returned from a two-block hike to our voting place. Based upon the votes we cast after perhaps a three-minute wait, Harris and Walz will be elected today, along with Senator Alsobrooks.
Kweisi Mfume will return to the House. That said, our focus here will be this:
On a totally separate topic, Kevin Drum has presented (at least) his second post about EV charging stations—and about the ongoing, round-the-clock efforts to misinform us the people.
Kevin starts in the manner shown below. We're omitting several graphics, which you can see at his site:
EV charging station update
Remember the old meme about how the federal government has spent $7.5 billion on EV charging stations but only three had been built? The meme needs to be updated. As of June, 17 stations have been built:
[Graphic]
Hmmm. Still not very impressive, is it? But this is like looking at Hoover Dam in 1933 and being indignant that the government has spent a billion dollars and only poured one bucket of concrete.
At this point, we'll offer this:
In fact, we do remember that "old meme" about the EV charging stations! We remember it because we've seen the boys at the Fox News Channel pimp that mandated script again and again and again!
According to the standard messaging, it's just as Kevin relates! According to the children at Fox, the federal government has blown billions of dollars on this project—but almost no charging stations have ever been built!
(Was the number of charging stations as low as three at some point in time? In this report by Kevin from back in July, the number in the standard meme apparently stood at eight.)
We've seen Gutfeld and Watters sell that story again and again and again. As we've noted in the past, we've also seen Gutfeld refer to climate change as a "hoax," but also as "one of the major hoaxes."
That said, Kevin says this messaging about EV stations been nothing but bunk. Continuing directly, he concludes his new report with this:
The EV charging station project was designed from the start to finish in 2030. Here's how it looks if you extrapolate the current growth rate:
[Graphic]
We probably won't hit a thousand stations until the end of 2025. That's just the way exponential growth goes. But like Hoover Dam, the EV project is actually ahead of schedule even though there isn't much to see yet.
A project of this sort can't be accomplished overnight. Today, as back in July, Kevin reports that the project is proceeding as designed, or is perhaps a bit ahead of schedule.
On our own, we know nothing about this topic. That, of course, would also be true of almost everyone else. including the millions of people who (unknowingly) receive their programmed misinformation from the Fox News Channel.
Once again, Kevin is saying that the project in question is actually ahead of schedule. Assuming his report is accurate, Gutfeld and Watters have been misinforming us the people as they've laughed and smirked and chuckled and clowned about the completely ridiculous lack of charging stations which have been built to date.
We've seen this again and again on Fox. We've never seen this conflict reported, or resolved, by the high-minded keepers of the flame at the New York Times.
To appearances, the New York Times simply doesn't want to scuffle with the lesser breed over at Fox. Corporate tools like Gutfeld and Watters are allowed the run of their playpen, as long as they stay Over There, misinforming Red America's voters.
We live in two Americas now. Over there, on the Fox News Channel, the flyweights can do and say whatever they like. Under current arrangements, they 're allowed to behave this way without any fear of correction.
How much are these flyweights paid for this service? It's considered a breach in protocol if you even ask!
(This is a problem at Blue cable too. We'd say it's much worse Over There.)
Somerby does sound a bit confused and tends to make it sound like this EV charging station project is the only source of charging stations in the nation. That is far from true.
ReplyDeleteI have owned a Tesla since early 2021. I drive it all over the country and have no problem finding charging stations in places I visit. In the past year I've noticed increasing numbers of charging stations at apartment complexes, hotels and in public places. There are more networks offering charging beyond Tesla's network.
Most people who own an EV install a 220 power line in their garage (if it isn't already there for running laundry or shop equipment) with a charger. We have solar panels on our roof that provide power to the EV charger -- you can buy this from Tesla or someone else. I drive my car for next to nothing, unless on a trip somewhere.
So, this fuss over how many chargers have been built by this particular government-funded program has nothing to do with how most people with EVs, especially in urban areas, are fueling their cars.
I have no idea why Republicans have made this a political issue when it is a boon to those who can afford these EVs. We should be focusing on expanding the market by lowering the price of the cars themselves. Charging them is a piece of cake, much more convenient than having to visit a gas station at intervals.
Drum should have made it clearer what he was talking about, which is mainly a point about propaganda, not EVs. Somerby should investigate a topic before writing about it. But the world is not a perfect place. I know a lot of people traded in their Teslas when Musk joined the Trump team (or before then), but that seems to be cutting off our noses to spite a man who just doesn't care about anyone but himself, like Trump. I kept mine and am voting for Harris to spite Musk and Trump. I urge others to do the same.
@11:48 The charging stations are an issue because they were fouled up. A great many Biden-Harris projects were fouled up: illegal immigration, the Afghanistan withdrawal, the floating dock to bring supplies to the Palestinians, charging stations, etc. These foulups wasted a lot of money and caused the deaths of a number of our servicemen.
ReplyDeleteDavid in Cal,
DeleteBe honest. Do you ever see yourself forgiving Biden-Harris for the lowest Unemployment rate in over half a century?
How were the charging stations fouled up?
DeleteHector - I am saying that not being built is a foul up. IMO if Tesla budgeted the same amount of money, a great many stations would have been built. YMMV
DeleteIt takes time to build them. Not allowing the plan to go forward at the projected pace but insisting it must be unreasonably speedy is bad faith. Tesla charging stations only work with Tesla cars. That's why this other project is needed. Tesla can use other networks, but not vice versa. How does that reflect Tesla's concern for the general public or for the environment or for helping our nation transition to EVs and away from gas-fueled autos? It doesn't. That's because businesses do what is best for themselves and not necessarily for the country as a whole (judging by Musk).
DeleteMusk's network of superchargers took much longer than Biden's project is taking. Musk started with chargers in 2012 in 6 sites in CA and NV. It introduced improvements and changes every couple of years, but didn't reach anything like a full urban network until 2017 with its supercharger posts and V3 stations introduced in 2019. The V4 charging posts were introduced in 2023. It introduced standardization of its connector in 2023. Less than 10% of car charging comes from external chargers, most happens at home or work.
Deletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_Supercharger
This is no faster than what Biden is doing. David in Cal may be unaware of the considerable trial and error involved in development of the Tesla charging network, in the USA, Europe and Asia.
DiC - I know you knowTrump had Pompeo negotiate the surrender to the Taliban terrorists by May 2021. They did not include the Afghan government in the negotiations. Of course being an ass Trump offered no transition assistance. Biden asked the Taliban to extend Trump's surrender by 3 months before they would start shooting at our soldiers again. . Given the idiot war hawk talking heads, and the screeching war hawk media, I feel Biden bucking this and pulling off one of the least bloody surrenders ever is perhaps his greatest accomplishment.
DeleteI disagree with Kevin. Building charging stations is nothing like building a dam. A dam is a single enormous structure that is very difficult to construct and is only useful after it’s entirely complete. Charging stations are relatively easy to construct, and each individual station is immediately useful even before the rest of the stations are built.
ReplyDeleteA national network of charging stations is a large-scale project. It doesn't look like a dam but that doesn't make it happen faster.
Delete"In general, building EV infrastructure involves determining the need, developing a plan, choosing a location, obtaining permits, installing the equipment, testing, and ongoing maintenance. This process can cost thousands and thousands of dollars and take anywhere from 12 months to 2 years to complete."
Non-networked chargers are easy and quick but they are like the chargers drivers put in their garages. Since non-networked stations do not access internet systems, they do not have the ability to charge a fee for usage. This means that if you install a non-networked EV charger, you will be committing to providing free charging to anyone who plugs in. You are also unable to monitor usage. Some existing networks use slow chargers. The one being funded by Biden is for fast chargers, like the Tesla superchargers. That makes a difference too.
You disagree with Kevin? Does that also mean you disagree with his observation that the project is currently on schedule?
DeleteFair point, Quaker. They may be on schedule, but if so, the schedule is planning an intent to foul up.
DeleteThat has to be the silliest thing you've ever said.
Delete@5:39 - oh no. He's topped that many, many times.
DeleteNot even close.
DeleteCharging stations are relatively easy to construct.
DeleteSays the expert in the construction of charging stations.
The Hoover Dam cost $49 million. The Six Companies bit was for that amount, and that's what was eventually paid.
ReplyDeleteThe Hoover dam was constructed roughly 90 years ago. What is your point?
DeleteConstruction of the Hoover Dam took about five years, from 1931 to 1936. It was completed two years ahead of schedule.
DeleteMy point is that the Kevin Drum is clueless about the Hoover Dam.
DeleteIs the media coverage biased?
ReplyDeleteThe study, released by the Media Research Center, showed "evaluative coverage of Harris — excluding “horse race” assessments — on ABC, CBS and NBC was 78% positive vs. 22% negative." As for Trump, he received "just 15% positive press, vs. 85% negative coverage."
https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2024/11/05/study-finds-that-2024-campaign-news-coverage-has-been-the-worst-ever-in-history-n4933995
This doesn't illustrate bias when the candidates are not equal in their positive/negative traits to begin with. Objectively Trump has more negative coverage because he says and does more negative things. The press needs to cover what actually happens, not make sure the pos/neg balance is equal between the two.
DeleteDavid,
DeleteTrump got his negative coverage the old-fashioned way: he earned it.
Hector - some of Trump’s negative coverage came from intentionally misrepresenting things he said. E.g.
Delete— Fine people hoax
— injecting bleach hoax
— commitment to protect Jews from antisemitism reported as if it were an anti Jew statement
— promise to protect
women against criminals reported as a threat to women
OTOH, Harris’s bizarre recommendation to a Muslim that bits of bacon be used as a spice got very limited coverage.
MRC is not an unbiased observer.
DeleteNor is Matt Margolis. Having no shame, he knows that.
DeleteThe unibomber got so much negative coverage. I protest.
Delete6:58,
DeleteIf you were in a roomful of neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and the people on the Right who attended the "Unite the Right March" in Charlottesville Trump called "fine people", how would you differentiate the latter group from the first two?
"Bomb Threats at Polling Places Came from Russia
ReplyDeleteNovember 5, 2024 at 1:36 pm EST By Taegan Goddard [Political Wire]
“Several non-credible bomb threats that briefly disrupted voting at two Georgia polling places originated from Russia,” CNN reports.
Said Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger: “We’ve heard some threats that were of Russian origin. I don’t know how to describe that that’s viable – we don’t think they are, but in the interest of public safety, we always check that out, and we’ll just continue to be very responsible when we hear about stuff like that. We identified the source, and it was from Russia.”
We won Guam.
ReplyDeleteI love the podcasts available on this site.
ReplyDelete