Aren't we all guilty of excess?
By Brian S. Wise
web
posted January 27, 2003
Given any thought to the connection between
terrorism, Arab nations, oil, gasoline and SUV's lately? Shame on you. The upshot
is this: When you buy a SUV, you will inevitably have to fill the thing with gasoline.
When you do, you are putting money into the hands of terrorist friendly Arab countries,
who are in turn funneling assistance to various terrorist organizations, such
as al-Qaida. (No immediate word on whether or not those who fill compact cars
with the same gasoline are supporting terrorism.) This is according to Arianna
Huffington and the Detroit Project with their advertising campaign to inform the
ignorant masses.
By the time said commercial was gaining national exposure,
the New York Post heard more than it was willing to stand. On January 12,
the Post's "Page Six" (it's the celebrity gossip page, which
is why you've never heard of it) reported that some of America's more famous environmentalists
are not only the first to preach, but the first hypocrites, as well. Normal Lear
(who, five years ago, "built a garage for 21 cars … which stands 45
feet tall," suggesting he not only owns, but drives 21 cars) is responsible
for the Environmental Media Association, to which the following environment conscious
celebrities are supporters: Gwyneth Paltrow "drives a Mercedes-Benz SUV"
… Chevy Chase drives around "Westchester in the luxury of the SUV"
… Both Barbra Streisand and Mrs. Streisand (my term) drive SUV's. And even
apart from the Post, Lawrence Bender (who produced Pulp Fiction, one of this columnist's
favorite movies) was forced by Neil Cavuto to admit he drives a gas guzzling luxury
car, though he does have a hybrid "on order." Or at least he does now.
No huge surprise that a certain percentage of celebrity environmentalists are hypocrites. One could correctly say that a decent percentage of all lifestyle hawks are hypocrites, especially if they're parents. Living right, however someone of more stringent standards chooses to define such a thing, is tough. So tough that some of those same lifestyle hawks choose to preach one way of life and do something different (presumably because only they are capable of handling the less desirable alternative). All right, you'll have that.
But somewhere underneath the issue, if you dig deep enough, there lies a certain attitude suggesting there is something evil about America wading in its own opulence, represented by the SUV, that anything so large and wasteful can only be emblematic of America itself (Bill Maher is good for this), and therefore lingers near the outside edge of obscenity. (Don't laugh; I have been told, by a conservative woman of some intellect who holds a position of trust in my professional life, that there is no difference between pornography and the SUV.) Well, okay. Once in awhile you'll hear a report of someone throwing themselves a ten million dollar birthday party and you'll think, "That seems a little much." The reaction is not unreasonable, because other than the salaries paid the wait staff and the fee paid for room rental, there's really no point to the thing besides mass ego stroking, which is another column altogether.
Even in agreeing America enjoys phenomenal sustained opulence, and even in agreeing there is such a thing as much-too-much, can't it be reasonably said that (even within a majority of its poor) America enjoys opulence unequaled in history, and therefore can't it reasonably be said that we are all guilty of excess?
Example: I am, by all accepted guidelines, poverty stricken, but by the American standard. My income is relatively miniscule to others my age, and yet in examining my home, one can see an antique desk (upon which this column is being written), over 400 compact discs collected over 15 years, a few dozen videos and DVD's (and consequently two VCR's and a DVD player), two televisions, cable television, broadband, a study full of books and magazines, two computers (granted, one is in parts scattered throughout Camp TGO), facilities to wash clothes, central air and heat … and I'm thinking of building a bar for the front room. Yet, the comparable standard of poverty throughout the world would often mean my counterpart is living in literal shanty towns, or worse.
Which
means what? That we cannot help but wallow in opulence, even if intending to be
modest in all things, because we are born into opportunities and allowances greater
than those afforded the citizens of any other nation in the world, ever. One can
live by their own standards, of course, but should do so without considering the
options available to them as obstacles to some sort of ideological purity. 
Brian S. Wise is a columnist at Intellectual Conservative. This is his first contribution to Enter Stage Right.
Other related stories: (open in a new window)
- Is
it wise to purchase an SUV? by Rachel Alexander (December 10, 2001)
Although everyone is rising up to their defence, Rachel Alexander remains a committed foe of the sport utility vehicle and all that it represents to her
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