Saturday, May 10, 2008

Not Sanctimonious

Just echoing Amanda, I think very often that when you discuss lifestyle choices you've made people assume that there's a level of sanctimony and moral superiority about those choices. You know, I've Made The Right And Good Choices instead of I'm just trying to make the right choices for me. People can be like that but quite often it just isn't the case. I don't own a car because I don't need one and don't like driving. I don't look down on people who buy SUVs, except those assholes who think that a green light plus their giant vehicle penis gives them the right to make a turn into the pedestrian crosswalk without paying attention to the existence of pedestrians. They're useful for some people and even if they're just toys or conspicuous consumption, who cares? I have toys too.

All that is different from criticizing bad policies which encourage people to consume more gas or zoning regulations and government established land use patterns which create incentives which lead people to behave certain ways that are less than ideal in the bigger picture.


...adding I'm not knocking the virtues of personal conservation, just saying that for most of us there probably isn't much room to get all judgmental. SUVs have become a symbol, but how many more jet trips do I get to take every year because I don't have one?