[john70t]

And so, Randy, your comment brings this fundamental argument full-circle....

Let us pretend that this philosophy rings true. Everyone listened to the anti-Prius-type crowd, and so the roads are clogged with gas-sucking monster trucks with 1950's emissions.

Not one single "degenerate"-type person would be on a bus, or a train, or biking, or walking. They'd all be driving large vehicles and sitting in traffic. On the roads. On the streets, and on the highways.
Sitting. Idling. Breathing in the fresh air.

Then, the principle law of supply-and-demand would be set in stone.

"Why are gasoline prices so high?" they would ask.

They would never understand why.

Someone else is to blame.