Well, just look at the internet and the censorship of..... Somebody somewhere wasn't happy with all their power and wealth, so they set about taking control of it, basically anyone who stood in the way were accused of being hackers.
The media printed stories about all this personal information that true criminal "hackers" we're stealing, they bundled the activists in with the criminals and turned the majority against the very people who are trying to protect the internet and it's freedom of information.
Anyone sat on the fence just says "oh well, it won't affect me, so I don't care" and how many of those people now come back complaining of websites that have been blocked (false positives), slow internet speeds (data passing through filtering servers) and a whole host of other things.
Doing nothing is just as bad as the people who're attacking our rights.
Another example, who reads the local rag every week?
You SHOULD, for the public and planning notices if nothing else, whinge bags request changes, things like massive speed bumps, speed limits or parking restrictions right outside your house. They know nobody ever reads the papers, so they usually get their own way as nobody gets chance to object.
As for classic and kit cars, we as a minority have little power versus the brainwashed consumerist majority. The folk who believe they're saving the environment by buying a new car every 2 years. They too will either be dead against our cars, believing they are dangerous and polluting, OR they'll say "meh, I don't care, it doesn't affect me".
The idea of allowing only qualified mechanics to work on cars is one that's probably being pushed by the bosses of the big garage/service chains, car dealerships and of course the automotive manufacturers themselves.