[cfqycwz]

The article mentions that Uber hope to replace public transit miles, and recognize it as profitable to do so. There's a link to a Times article that elaborates on this claim. It is true that Uber on occasion enter into sort of last-mile "partnerships" with transit agencies, but we should all recognize how such a strategy can be a wedge for privatization-a sort of public service embrace-extend-extinguish.

There is no conspiracy or collusion with the Kochs alleged in this article. One tidy aspect of Marxist politics (Jacobin is a socialist magazine) is that it recognizes that wealthy people's actions aren't arranged through some grand and unlikely conspiracy, but rather by a shared material interest that causes them to tend to desire and work toward similar things. Thus the note that, though Uber and the Kochs have many superficial aesthetic differences, including preference of political party, they appear to often work toward the same political ends anyway.

[tootie]

Probably shouldn't put the word "Alliance" in the headline. This is just a case of coincident incentives. And yet still, there is no evidence Lyft or Uber are actually taking any steps to undermine public transit even if it is a possible outcome.

[esailija]

> And yet still, there is no evidence Lyft or Uber are actually taking any steps to undermine public transit even if it is a possible outcome.

Nobody said anything about Lyft. Uber itself said that they aim to replace public transit. I really don't understand why you would go to such lengths to make up bullshit.

[tootie]

The point of the article is that Uber is working with the Kochs to lobby against public transport. That is a lie. Uber are not lobbying. They see public transit consumers as a big market that they can take a piece of. They are currently using only supplementary strategy (ride back and forth to train station). Eventually, they may compete directly. If they offer a better service than mass transit and it drains riders, great. Job well done. Until they actually do something underhanded to achieve that, there's no story here.

[Apocryphon]

Similar goals via duck typing.