The Deficiencies of Want

There is an old joke:
A:  Do you play the piano?
B:  No. But I would have done anything to learn.
A: Clearly not.



We are inundated with compilations of our preferences, what pollsters call our "wants," as if "wants" were not mere "desires." In most instances, such wants are wishes.

I want to fly first class; i.e. I wish I could.

I want a Mercedes CLS 53; I wish I could get one.

So the question, Do you want to build a wall on the border of Mexico? or, "Do you want Universal Health Care?" has one answer if you are paying for it, another if you are not.

Only the free market reveals genuine wants.