> A giant car is probably the most harmful-to-others luxury indulgence you could pick
International travel. People need to get to work, nobody needs to backpack through Europe to "find themselves" (besides perhaps Europeans).
International travel. People need to get to work, nobody needs to backpack through Europe to "find themselves" (besides perhaps Europeans).
Probably less harmful; the per-year CO2 emissions are similar (depending how long your commute is and how much travel you do), and travel has fewer of the other negative externalities (taking up road space and city space, killing people directly).
> People need to get to work, nobody needs to backpack through Europe
Perhaps, but I don't see how putting out an extra n tonnes of CO2 by driving an unnecessary giant car to work is any better than putting out an extra n tonnes of CO2 on things that are more directly self-indulgent. (If anything I'm more sympathetic to wasteful consumption if the consumer is at least enjoying themselves)
That is why American capitalism/consumerism is bad. Our society would be far, far better served if people exposed themselves to different cultures, beliefs, experienced world first hand instead of through talking head media. If more "found themselves" they'd know life isn't about work and money.