I think at some point, big corporations like microsoft or google will try adding their crap to the repositorys and try to make them used by majority.
They've already done this in some obvious ways, but also the recent Rust Zealotry and the non-stop drive to penetrate the kernel code is concerning: Rust Foundation
The analogy I go to for this concept is "the thorny vine." A single thorn is a minor inconvenience, but if one were to attempt to grab the vine and tear it down by force, then there's a lot of pain.
I'm sure they did read the content in the links. The point they are making is exactly your final line. There's this refrain of "Boomers are ruining everything!" but the reality is it's a small number of people with a lot of money using that money to do what they please at everyone else's expense.
When the last "boomer" dies, the problem will remain. If we collectively fail to address it, then it's just going to change up to "Dang GenYs ruining everything!"
According to this article, average payment is $745 new / $521 used on a 6 year note. So they either have a nicer used car or slightly below average new car.
$1,400 for rent in a managed apartment complex in a US suburban area also doesn't raise an eyebrow, especially in a northeast state like Connecticut.
The measurable benefits seem good and I wouldn't suggest ending the program, but I do wonder with schemes like this how many fewer Mercedes, BMWs, and Land Rovers are in the city vs. Hondas, Toyotas, and Kias.
Maybe I am just a cynic but the statement about "...supporters were those who drove into the central business district the most frequently" carries a subtext that "now that the f'in poors are out of the way I can get where I'm going quickly!"
For scale, the US Army has ~4700 tanks according to the internets. Assuming they have a matching number of crews and can put them all into service, that's 94 tanks per state. That sounds like quite a bit until you consider the coverage of a state. If we take NY as an example, that's 0.0017 tanks / square mile. The military will be pinning down only small areas at a time with armor.
For tactics, no reasonable person expects to take on a tank with a pistol. The deterrence of an armed populace is in the scale and ubiquity of resistance. There are ~3M personnel in the US military from cooks and secretaries to special forces. They are outnumbered by firearms-owning civilians 76 to 1. The odds are bad. The military has force multipliers (tanks, bombers, drones), but deploying them effectively against the civilian population is not easy. Who are the combatants? If no one is standing outside waving a rifle, where do you drop the bomb, or fire the cannon? You could level an entire neighborhood and hope to destroy some of them. Will the non-rebellious populace remain on your side if you do this? An effective resistance will wait until the tank or plane is stopped to refuel and resupply, and then destroys the operators.
There is also the question of logistics. When operating abroad, part of the formula for success of the US military is their unbreakable supply lines. They bring everything from fuel to food to tools and don't need to rely on local supplies. But all those things are sourced and shipped from the US.. When the fight is on home soil, these supplies cannot be guaranteed. Sabotage of roads, bridges, pipelines, and railroads could significantly hinder the operating capacity of the military.
When speaking as any one person remaining armed as opposition to government tyranny, it is not as "Rambo," but as a thorn on the vine. Collectively there are many thorns and any attempt by the government to crush the vine will result in a lot of pain. You make the option as unattractive as possible.
I daily a 1996 Jeep Cherokee. Manual transmission, manual windows, manual door locks. The basic radio was broken before I got it. It does have computer engine control with OBD2, but even that is simple in comparison.
When something breaks or maintenance is needed, it's a straightforward fix with typical tools. I've come to appreciate the simplicity.
I work in an office that was built in 1980. There are built-in ashtray slots in the restrooms. They've all been glued shut now, but it's very obvious what they are.
There's a main atrium in the building surrounded by the wings of space for cubicles. I can only imagine the smoke cloud that must have hung in the air back in the day!
Little guy. :( I feel you, buddy.