the perils of conspicuous consumption

[litch]

I took the dogs out yesterday to get some more kibble, and then took them by the park because they've been twitchy from being cooped up by the rain and my misery. On the way there I saw a blond in a red porche carrera convertable in the lane next to and just ahead of me at the light.

I had a surge of rage at her. I just scrabbled through my change to buy my dog food and there is this woman with a sculpted tan driving a car way too expensive for any reasonable utitlitarian need. I wanted to get out of the truck, snatch her out the car and pound her face into ground until no rich man would ever look at her again.

I've still got reasons not to, but they're getting smaller and less effective. There's nothing quite so dangerous as the formerly privileged and affluent who have become desperate and angry. When you feel like you have nothing left to lose but you still have a few resources you become very dangerous. When you are used to the power and prerogatives of the rich it's much easier to step out side the bounds of acceptable behavior. When you look and act like someone who's normally "safe" you can get close enough to get someone.

Summer is coming and there is a lot of anger and desperation out there.

Comments

[contentlove.livejournal.com]

I've had those kind of feelings before. I get pretty fucking dangerous, frankly, when I'm feeling actual despair. So yeah. I'm feeling ya.

[molasses.livejournal.com]

despair hits me differently but i hear what you're saying and i'm sorry.

[paddy-garcia.livejournal.com]

Ah the irony of it all. Relative poverty is a bitch.

[interactiveleaf.livejournal.com]

The interesting thing to me is that you're saying we need to fear people who have fallen more than we need to fear people who've always been down.

[litch.livejournal.com]

historically that's been the case; interwar germany, rawandan hutu, iraqi sunnis

[eliset.livejournal.com]

So, without knowing anything about this woman, you wanted to physically assault her?

She may very well have worked her way through business school and have a bajillion dollars of loans.

Or gone to medical school, and spent a few years doing charity doctoring in order to pay off loans.

You know nothing about her, her ethics, or her situation, and yet you want to hurt her just because your choices have led you to be in a sucky situation.

That's pretty scary, man.

[paddy-garcia.livejournal.com]

It does smack of some pretty hardcore projection.

[litch.livejournal.com]

So, without knowing anything about this woman, you wanted to physically assault her?

I knew she was driving a $90,000 ostentatious car

That's pretty scary, man.

And I'm a reasonable, gentle guy who's not particularly inclined toward violence.

[luxcanon.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure we don't have to be scared of Litch until they take his teevee away.

[sheilagh.livejournal.com]

Some folks who might cross her reading list (or her sugar daddy's reading list) are trying to warn people like her, at least:
http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/31/recession-etiquette-behavior-lifestyle-style-recession-etiquette_slide_2.html?thisspeed=25000