Davis Obst — author of the new book Saving Ourselves from Big Car, and former literary agent best known his work on All the President’s Men — is in good traffic this week.
His career has spanned some of the most pivotal exposés in modern history — from the Pentagon Papers to Watergate. Now, Obst turns his focus to corruption of the American auto lobby.
In the conversation, David traces the deep history of how corporate and political power entrenched car dependence in America — from the invention of jaywalking to the National Highway Act, from leaded gasoline to insurance redlining. He shows how Big Car reshaped American culture, politics, and neighborhoods.
Timeline:
00:00 Introduction.
09:24 Breaking the My Lai massacre, Pentagon Papers, and Watergate.
12:00 The disastrous birth of car culture — and leaded gasoline.
18:26 Nixon, the EPA, and the Clean Air Act.
22:00 The deadly toll of lead poisoning and corporate denial.
26:20 Why the U.S. rejected the Paris Accords.
28:00 Eisenhower, the highway system, and white flight.
33:10 Big Car’s role in advertising, youth culture, and redlining.
35:15 Insurance companies, surveillance, and data exploitation.
37:00 Profits over safety: the fight over seatbelts, airbags, and climate denial.
39:45 Car-free experiments.
42:20 Santa Barbara as a testbed for alternatives.
44:15 A warning from history — and a call to act.
Further context:
More on David (via the Santa Barbara Independent).