I had a 1964 Chevelle with a straight 6 and a two speed automatic. You could stand in the engine compartment and work on the engine with both feet firmly on the ground. Everything was easily accessible and easy and cheap enough to repair that a college student with no training, limited skills and basic tools could keep it running just fine. These days I just look under the hood and shudder.

We all like to think of ourselves as rugged individualists. But when push comes to shove most of us are sheep who do what we are told. Worst of all, a lot of us become unpaid agents of whoever is controlling the agenda by enforcing the current dogma on the few rugged individualists who actually exist.