By Eric Peters
What’s it like to live in a “15 Minute City”? If you’d like a preview, look no further than Berlin — which is on the verge of becoming a “car-free” city.
Of course, “free” isn’t the right word. There’s nothing “free” about what’s coming — a near-total ban on privately owned vehicles within the boundaries of the German capital. If enacted, the Volksentscheid Berlin Autofrei initiative would limit private vehicle use to a maximum of 12 trips per year within the city’s S-Bahn ring.
Emphasis on privately owned. Government vehicles — naturally — would be exempt.
They are always exempt. The Important People, after all, have important places to be and important things to do. Just ask John Kerry and his cohort of private-jet-setting climate crusaders who fly around the world to attend summits aimed at convincing the rest of us to stop flying — and driving. Zoom meetings won’t do for the Important People.
Public Health (for the Public Only)
The justification for making Berlin “autofrei” is, of course, public health — an increasingly common euphemism for the “climate crisis.” The terminology may have changed, but the playbook remains the same: a never-ending cycle of existential emergencies to justify extraordinary control.
Once upon a time, the crisis was COVID. Before that, it was terrorism. Before that, the Soviet Union. The climate crisis has been simmering in the background for decades, only now it’s been rebranded for maximum alarmism. The shift from “global cooling” to “global warming” eventually became just “climate change” — a vague, unprovable assertion that all but defies contradiction. After all, everything changes. But now, even change is cause for panic.
It’s a clever tactic. Just as a growing child transforms between ages six and sixteen, so too does the weather shift between winter and summer. But today, seasonal variation is packaged as proof of a looming catastrophe. Hot in July? That’s climate change. Cold in January? That’s climate change, too.
Something must be done!
And something is being done — in Berlin. Just not to the Important People. The same ones who declared themselves “essential” during the pandemic are now exempting themselves from the rules they impose on everyone else.
“The future belongs to safety, climate protection, and the health of all Berliners — not unrestrained car traffic,”
— proclaims one of the initiative’s supporters.
That may sound noble, but it’s also revealing. Even so-called “zero-emissions” electric vehicles will not be exempt from the restrictions. That tells us everything we need to know: this isn’t about emissions. It never was.
The real target is privately owned vehicles — not just the gas-powered kind. The Autofrei campaign is merely the latest step toward eliminating personal transportation, with “public health” as the ever-shifting justification.
“This isn’t climate action — it’s a tax on private enterprise,”
— said Petra Klein, spokesperson for the UVB business association.
But she’s being generous. It’s not a tax — because there’s no amount you can pay to opt out. Berliners will pay in other ways: by walking or taking what’s disingenuously styled “public” transportation. (As if the public had any control over it.)
“Crowded trains and long waits could turn this into a mobility disaster,”
— Klein added.
Unfortunately, she misunderstands the goal. This isn’t an unintended consequence. It’s the intended consequence. The goal is dependency. The goal is control.
Berlin’s “autofrei” initiative is a prototype for the kind of mobility-restricted society that some leaders envision globally — and yes, here in the United States.
Like the pandemic lockdowns before it, this coordinated plan seeks to dismantle personal mobility under the guise of safety, equity, and environmental stewardship. But the real objective is clear: total control requires taking the wheel out of your hands.
Once you understand that, you’ll understand the rest.
Editorial Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in this blog post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the National Motorists Association. We believe in fostering open dialogue and welcome diverse perspectives on issues affecting motorists. If you would like to submit a response or opposing viewpoint, we encourage you to contribute. Please email us at greg@motorists.org for submission guidelines.
