What, me sacrifice?

I can’t help but notice, as I listen to Al Gore sound the clarion call over climate change, how little personal sacrifice is involved in the whole MMGW movement (that’s Man Made Global Warming).  Really.  We’re talking about something that could spell the doom of millions and forever alter life on planet earth.  But where’s the real sacrifice?  Even people I know who are all ‘MMGW!’ don’t seem to adjust their lifestyles.  They still have big screen TVs, or take vacations, or use electricity and transportation for frivolous pursuits (just converting to ‘green energy’ and then maintaining the same lifestyle doesn’t count – that’s like exercising and to compensate for overeating).  If it’s that big of a deal, shouldn’t we see WWII levels of personal sacrifice on the part of everyone?  We’re trying to save the planet after all.

If you have made what radical adjustments you can, don’t use energy needlessly, forgo all frivolous expenses where carbon footprints are concerned,  oil lamps and all, then good for you.

Same with other darlings of modern righteousness.  Lots of hooha about immigrants.  Well, let one live with you.  Or ten.  Or if you’re someone like J.K. Rowling, open up  your houses for a bus full of immigrants.  That’s simple enough.  Especially if you call the slightest disagreement with your opinion on the subject a grave sin.

If you have done such things, and you have an immigrant or two living with you, then good for you.  I tip my hat and have no more to say.

Or my favorite crusade sans sacrifice, population control.  Talk about something that requires 0% personal commitment.  We need fewer other people in the world!  Wow.  That takes a lot.  There is nothing there that comes close to personal investment in the cause.  I can’t say, in this case, you might have made a sacrifice.  There is none to make.

Just thinking out loud.  Funny how many of the modern righteous causes seem to require little to no actual personal inconvenience on the part of the crusaders.  They should, but I just don’t see it.  It reminds me of that scene in The Ten Commandments (Charlton Heston version).  The priest comes in complaining that Moses gave temple grain to the Hebrews.  Pharaoh looks at him and quips, “You don’t look any thinner.”  Sometimes that’s the feeling I get nowadays when I compare the rhetoric to the sacrifice.

FWIW, I don’t think a person must throw himself on a sword for any cause he supports.  But if we’re going to make apocalyptic warnings of doom and death, and declare the slightest deviation from our own ideas to be an unforgivable sin of grave evil, then I think it’s fair to expect some personal sacrifice on our part.