Things I'd be willing to sacrifice...

Reading CNN I come across this article about what Americans are willing to sacrifice to compensate for the cost of gas.

Now, normally, a push-poll like this wouldn't merit anything, let alone the first post of a new blog. But I think this needed a little commentary.

No where did the polling firm think to ask things like 'Would you be willing to repeal the roughly 16% of the current cost of gas goes to taxes that vanish in the general fun instead of being used for roads and highways?' or 'Would you be willing to see relaxed environmental laws so refineries can actually be built?'

The point is the word 'sacrifice', when used like this, is being misused. Usually, a sacrifice involves losing luxuries first. Now the argument is usually framed in the size of the car being the luxury to lose. What isn't brought into this are luxuries like laws preventing refinery construction, mandates preventing oil drilling, etc.

The sacrifices often sought by CNN and the like are a bunch of misanthropic requirements designed to 'punish' you because you're too wealthy. Not to solve the problem.

Just a thought.