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[Mr. I - Man]

Replace adverse snobmanship with green harrumphing
JACK ZIMMERMAN

Back in the '60s there used to be something called "adverse snobmanship." Say you were really rich, lived on the interest of your interest and never had an unpaid balance on your Visa or MasterCard. The car of choice for the super rich back then was a Rolls-Royce. With no unpaid balances on your charge cards and lots of old money coming to you from previous generations of robber barons, you could easily afford a Rolls-in fact, everybody expected you to drive a Rolls.
But here's where things got tricky. You didn't bother with a Rolls. Instead you opted for a Bentley-an identical car to the Rolls, with the same leather seats and burled-walnut dashboard. Of course it didn't have the prestigious Rolls-Royce hood ornament. In other words, it was a Rolls, but it didn't scream that it was a Rolls.
The whole idea of adverse snobmanship was that you were not only rich enough to drive a Rolls, you were so rich that you didn't have to drive a Rolls-a Bentley was good enough.
At first, adverse snobmanship was slow to catch on. That's because this is America, where conspicuous consumption is a way of life. Rich people love to show others that they're rich. That's the whole point of having a couple of gazillion dollars. If you can't flaunt it, why have it?
But soon enough some of the rich and famous hopped on board. Hollywood's Steve McQueen pulled up to the Oscars in the late '60s driving a VW Beetle. Back then it wasn't unusual to run across somebody worth millions who pitched the whole idea of an affluent lifestyle and took to living on a commune.
By the 1970s, adverse snobmanship trickled down to guys like me. Of course, we're talking about the lowest rungs of the snobmanship ladder. I could afford a used Volkswagen but instead bought a used Renault. Back then, my life's accoutrements were a collection of Timex watches, Bic pens, cheap cars and really cheap clothes. And thanks to adverse snobmanship, I felt good about all the cheap crap that filled up my life.
Things would have remained that way except in the presidential election of 1980 Ronald Reagan beat Jimmy Carter like a rented mule. It was as if Studs Terkel got run over by Donald Trump's limo. Ideas like "it doesn't matter how much you make or what you do" were replaced by "greed is good." Suddenly St. Francis of Assisi was out and Milton Friedman was in. Back in the '80s it was good to be rich and even better to let others know you were rich. By the 1990s, America had drifted into, "I got mine, so screw
everybody else."
Those were rough years for the non-rich. By the time Reagan's second term rolled around, my Timex watch looked really pathetic, and so did my 15-year-old Renault. Luckily, though, I discovered the green movement, which allowed me to feel good about my life and my flat-lined finances while using all the moral harrumphing I had perfected in my years of adverse snobmanship.
Presently, there's a guy in my building who drives a Hummer. What he needs a military assault vehicle for in the West Loop is anybody's guess-maybe in case there's a fire fight in Ina's parking lot? "How pathetic," I say to my wife whenever the Hummer drives by. While saying it I feel that wonderful rush of moral superiority. The Hummer driver may have a net worth 12 times greater than mine, but deep down he's just a big yahoo who doesn't give a hoot about the environment, the Amazon rain forest or St. Francis.
May he get run over by a used Renault.

http://www.chicagojournal.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=169&ArticleID=41 58&TM=58419.89

The linky has a reply to the editorial feature

[wpage]

This guy probably hates the popemobile. And Nancy Peloci who flys around in a big jet wasting taxpayers money on fuel launching useless assaults against our service men and decent leaders.
I suppose He would pass on the Coast Guard lauching a fuel gussling chopper to come and rescue his sorry ass if he was lost at sea. Or If the National Guard had to mobilize large mechanized equipment to save someone from his family who know doubt could easily be as lost as he is...

[DDWH]

nice to see zimmerman is still a douche!

[Karsun]

Here's what I sent him:

I suppose you must feel good about your supposed "green" way of life. Did you know that killing off the rainforest hurts the environment more than every vehicle on earth? Perhaps you should also attack semi trucks, planes, boats and trains. I would imagine they use way more fuel than my H2 that I only drive on weekends. Get over yourself!

[Hmmm2]

Originally Posted by Karsun

Here's what I sent him:

I suppose you must feel good about your supposed "green" way of life. Did you know that killing off the rainforest hurts the environment more than every vehicle on earth? Perhaps you should also attack semi trucks, planes, boats and trains. I would imagine they use way more fuel than my H2 that I only drive on weekends. Get over yourself!

Bravo

[Agriv8r]

WOULDNT A SIMPLY F... Y.., YOU JEALOUS PRICK.....HAVE BEEN JUST AS GOOD...

[Hmmm2]

Originally Posted by Agriv8r

WOULDNT A SIMPLY F... Y.., YOU JEALOUS PRICK.....HAVE BEEN JUST AS GOOD...

Yes, that would have been another appropriate comment.

[wpage]

Sent him a mail message. He and Al Gore should get a room

[3Hummer]

well see how hes laughing when some killer storm rolls through and the guy in the Hummer is out helping people but not him.

[Karsun]

I just got a call from the Chicago Journal...they're publishing my letter to him. They had to get permission.
I meant to say they're putting it in the actual paper. It'll be under letters to the editor.

[Mr. I - Man]

Originally Posted by Karsun

I just got a call from the Chicago Journal...they're publishing my letter to him. They had to get permission.
I meant to say they're putting it in the actual paper. It'll be under letters to the editor.

Awesome, I'll send ya copy.

[Karsun]

Originally Posted by Mr. I - Man

Awesome, I'll send ya copy.

Oh please do! I'll send you my address and all if you let me know when you get a copy.

[Big Dad]

Originally Posted by Karsun

Oh please do! I'll send you my address and all if you let me know when you get a copy.

Too late...we all know your address already!

[Karsun]

Originally Posted by Big Dad

Too late...we all know your address already!

That's okay, that just means the gifts for my birthday in April will know where to come!

[wpage]

Originally Posted by Karsun

I just got a call from the Chicago Journal...they're publishing my letter to him. They had to get permission.
I meant to say they're putting it in the actual paper. It'll be under letters to the editor.

Just got a contact from the Editor. He wanted my address. Said he going to publish my letter under out of town reply's...

[Big Dad]

Originally Posted by Karsun

That's okay, that just means the gifts for my birthday in April will know where to come!

OMG! You remind me of my favorite daughter!

[RubHer Yellow Ducky]

Originally Posted by Karsun

That's okay, that just means the gifts for my birthday in April will know where to come!

i'm the 11th, and you ?

[Karsun]

Originally Posted by RubHer Yellow Ducky

i'm the 11th, and you ?

The 25th.

[ssgharkness020147]

Originally Posted by Karsun

That's okay, that just means the gifts for my birthday in April will know where to come!

You must produce those pics before I send any presents.

[Karsun]

Originally Posted by ssgharkness020147

You must produce those pics before I send any presents.