Technology Is Holding Us Hostage
Going through YouTube videos, I stumble upon farmers bemoaning the woes of John Deere. They’re in a fight for their businesses as the wrestle with the agriculture giant. They are fighting for their “right to repair”.
I’m not a fan of people fighting for “rights” that aren’t really rights. I can hit on many “rights” that just are not defined as such in any legal capacity. We treat many ideas that people want to be true as “rights”, but they simply are just things that people want to be true. I think this “right to repair” is just a something people want to be true.
The video uses the example of a part that John Deere uses in a GPS satellite communication module. It saves money by using GPS to plant seeds with precision. The farmer said that only one part of the piece was broke, but John Deere no longer supports the piece. Without it, the rest tractor will not work. Farmers and mechanic shops say they have a “right to repair” and parts should be made available.
The farmer discussed the fact that an old Farmall had less complexity than just the drivers seat of a new tractor. In the 80’s John Deere starting adding technology to many systems. They’re to the point now where you need to transport the piece to John Deere for repairs. Transport costs alone can cost thousands of dollars. Meanwhile, the Farmall still runs at 50 years old and parts…