General Motors streetcar conspiracy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_streetcar_conspiracy

58 points · 7 comments · view on lemmy.world

7 Comments

pulsewidth@lemmy.world · 38 pts · 30d (2 replies)

12 year investigation and trial.

Accused:

  • General Motors.
  • Firestone.
  • Standard Oil of California.
  • Phillips Petroleum.
  • Mack Trucks.

Verdict:
Guilty. GM was fined $5,000 (equivalent to $62,000 in 2025).

Yahuh. The US legal system.

Jake_Farm@sopuli.xyz · 12 pts · 30d

The US has been a corpo shithole for far longer than people realize.

skvlp@feddit.nl · 5 pts · 30d

Yea, I bet that taught them a lesson. (Just not the intended one)

OmegaMouse@pawb.social · 14 pts · 30d (3 replies)

Oh this is a conspiracy? I'd always heard it reported as fact

HeartyOfGlass@piefed.social · 26 pts · 30d (2 replies)

While the term often refers to crackpot theories, a "conspiracy" is just several people secretly plotting to do something illegal.

Here, there were convictions. This was indeed an actual, factual conspiracy where GM and others secretly plotted to systematically destroy competing public transit.

Jake_Farm@sopuli.xyz · 11 pts · 30d

The term is conspiracy THEORY. A conspiracy is when that actually happens.

OmegaMouse@pawb.social · 11 pts · 30d

Ahh I see, I was conflating conspiracy with conspiracy theory - thanks for clearing that up!