Seduced

2002-11-05 - 6:36 a.m.

I don't want a car.

I think they're harmful. I've known at least 4 people who were hit by a car, and I know someone who was killed (by a drunk driver). This fall, someone drove into my mom's car when it was parked (she was inside her home sleeping at the time), crumpling the rear.

They cause pollution, use up resources, make a lot of noise, and require lots of space in the form of roads and parking lots that could be used for parks, houses, public buildings, gardens.

They're expensive. On a personal level, a car costs enough to support another "me," including a bachelor apartment, food, and public transprot. On a broader level, it takes lots of tax dollars to care for roads, to keep cities cool in the summer, to plow roads in the winter, to battle the health effects of injuries and pollution.

I know that for some people cars are a necessity, and I'm certainly not against busses and subways, but I think that at least 90% of cars being used today are more harmful than helpful.

And I've heard all the arguments -for- recreational car use, including (and usually especially) the "freedom" they give you. I have no doubt that driving is fun, and I've enjoyed many a road trip with friends and family.

The thing is, I've heard that heroin is fun to try, too. I still wouldn't want to get hooked on it.

The thing is, I recognise this as a personal choice. The same as my reasons for eating less (aiming for "no") meat. I believe that eating meat is ultimately harmful on many levels, but I'm not going to force others to give up meat. That's their decision. People must look at the causes and what they'd be sacrificing, and make a decision that they can live with, and aside from being frank about my reasons I really have no right to force others to comply.

Because while I hate cars, I want a house, and kids, and enough money to not worry about it, and a million other things that don't work with being the ultimate socialist.

At Pookie's brother's, who's a detective, who has a fairly large house, a family of four, a couple (or 3?) cars, and a stay-at-home wife, as well as a simmering drinking problem to support, I realised that a lot of the stuff he has I would really like. I was talking with Pookie about how our first house should have three bedrooms, because we'll want an office and a guestroom. I want a playstation, my computer (which could be considered a necessity, I suppose), food and clothes and shoes that don't fall apart after 4 months of casual wear. I want money in the bank, and I'm even looking forward to -investing-.

Pookie's brother, hoping to make us feel better about our financial situation, admitted that his property tax is up to $2000 a month. That's just for his land, and that's more than Pookie and I have to live off of. The fact that he can afford to even consider paying that much for property is a little upsetting. Now, Pookie's brother works hard, and he deserves the recognition that he gets, but Pookie works just as hard and so far has nothing financial to show for it.

But all of this comparing bothers me. Just the other day I was ranting to Pookie how a millionaire -can't- be a socialist: the fact that a millionaire has so much money while others can't even eat is antithetical to socialism.

I don't think it's wrong of me to want these things - or, at least, it's not unnatural. I spend every day of my life in a society that values material gain over just about everything else. Even family, the so-called pinnacle of social achievement, is viewed through the lens of materialism. I would almost have to be sociopathic to not want things when I'm told that I -should- want things every day.

But it also upsets me, because as much as I want a playstation or a large kitchen, I want there to be less suffering in the world more. But it's always difficult to give up immediate gratification for something that I may never ever see results for.

Cheers,

The Magus

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