Economics, not politicians, will determine what tools are best.
Michael T. Burr is Fortnightly’s editor-in-chief. Email him at burr@pur.com.
Everybody knows about buggy whips. When Henry Ford began cranking out Model-Ts for a few hundred dollars each, he changed the business of building wheeled vehicles. But in the process, he destroyed the apparently burgeoning industry of buggy-whip manufacturing.
Apart from Luddites and the Amish, nobody much misses the buggy whip—least of all the horses. And although some environmental advocates might regret the fact, petroleum-burning engines created modern civilization as we know it—and saved us a lot of shoveling.
However, when the first Model-Ts sputtered down the street, few people could’ve imagined the remarkable transformations they’d bring. Instead, they only saw a threat to their way of life. This went beyond the ranks of buggy-whip makers, and inspired lawmakers to enact ordinances to forestall the future. Some such laws are still on the books; in Pennsylvania, when you see an oncoming horse-drawn carriage, you’re required to pull your car to the side of the road and cover it with a blanket so as not to alarm the horses. In South Carolina, drivers must stop 100 yards before reaching an intersection and fire a shot into the air to warn horse traffic of their approach.