I think the point being made wasn't literally that cars are more important than food, but more that for most Americans, you can't really get by without store-bought food and a car. This is just fact.

A few lucky people live in the densest urban areas where car non-ownership is totally fine, nice even. For the rest, it's horrible and no one would choose it. A trip to the grocery store in the suburbs could take 30-45 minutes each way in 90º heat (and in half the country, with humidity too) is terrible - and think how many times you'll have to go to the store if you're buying only what you can carry 3 miles. Also many school districts provide no buses, so now you're walking kids to and from school in all weather. Bikes are a thing, but the roads aren't always safe and it still sucks in weather.

For most Americans, you can't really get by without store-bought food and a car. This is just fact.

For all animals on earth, you can't really get by without food. This is jus a fact.

This is basically the point I was making, yes.

I'm shocked to hear many school districts provide no busses though... I guess I always assumed that was some legal requirement? Like you have to send your kid to school, so we have to provide transportation if you're outside of a certain range.

True, but even the most car-centric socities could adapt to a shortage of cars by means less drastic than a culling of the population through widespread famine and death.

My electric scooter works just fine for getting around a city. You can carry a bag or two of groceries home with just a simple backpack. Visit the store frequently enough and you don't actually need a car. In my area you don't even need a license to ride the scooter on public roads.

I have a car (and a license) anyway for comfort reasons, but I keep the scooter in the back for situations like distant parking. Works pretty well for me.