Live data from Hacker News

Saudi Arabia Agrees to Let Women Drive

nytimes.com

71–80 of 225 posts

Re: Saudi Arabia Agrees to Let Women Drive

#72
post #29

But do they have to be accompanied on that drive by a male relative?

It's pretty messed up how this mirrors similar questions that come up when discussing autonomous vehicles- While we in the West try to come to grips with the agency of computer systems, other places are still trying to come to grips with agency for adult humans.

[deleted]

Re: Saudi Arabia Agrees to Let Women Drive

#73
post #29

But do they have to be accompanied on that drive by a male relative?

It's pretty messed up how this mirrors similar questions that come up when discussing autonomous vehicles- While we in the West try to come to grips with the agency of computer systems, other places are still trying to come to grips with agency for adult humans.

We in the West are still struggling to come to grips with agency for adult humans.

Re: Saudi Arabia Agrees to Let Women Drive

#74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry I didn't mean driving per se, but in the 70s women had more freedom and it regressed since.

That's not exactly true. People tout those photographs of "liberated" women in Iran in the 70's but that was a tiny slice of a female urban lifestyle restricted to a small number of elite women. That was not representative of the lives of the overwhelming majority of Iranian women.

Oh ok, thanks for the correction.

Re: Saudi Arabia Agrees to Let Women Drive

#75
post #51

::slow clap:: It is absolutely appalling that this type of backwardness is still a reality in the 21st century. The faster we can transition to clean, renewable energy, the better for everyone in the world.

My favorite example is the South Carolina law that was finally rescinded a few years back, where bars had to serve their mixed alcoholic drinks with liquor poured from single-serving 'airline' style bottles. A colossal waste of time and resources, but the kicker was the arguments against rescinding the law-- some folks arguing that DUI rates would go through the roof and The Children (TM) would all die, and others ar…

You should take a look at Utah's liquor laws some time. Perfect example of what happens when people who don't drink decide to legislate alcohol.

Re: Saudi Arabia Agrees to Let Women Drive

#79
post #48
post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And renewables/EVs are just getting started. It will be interesting to see what other freedoms Saudis will allow once EVs and renewables are a significant portion of the global market.

Perhaps freedoms will be taken by force by the Saudi citizens... when the petrol money runs out, the economic situation will worsen while the ability of the ruling elite to use money to keep the regime's stability will be greatly reduced. Looks like Prince Mohammed bin Salman understands this, and that is why he's trying to reduce his country's reliance on petrol money.

I don't think "freedom" being seized by the Saudi citizens would have the result you seem to imagine it would.

Re: Saudi Arabia Agrees to Let Women Drive

#80

::slow clap:: It is absolutely appalling that this type of backwardness is still a reality in the 21st century. The faster we can transition to clean, renewable energy, the better for everyone in the world.

There are still groups of humans living relatively or completely unconnected from the world that wouldn't seem out of place 10,000 years ago. It's not exactly appalling that societies that don't respect basic freedoms exist, it's appalling that they're allowed to participate at all in the global economy and society.

>

Post reply on HN