Please indulge me for a moment, before I get to my actual point. Some of you may know that I've been my grandmother's caretaker. She's terminally ill, and is hospitalized often. Last week, she returned to the ER, and we found that (in addition to emphysema/COPD) she is now in kidney failure as well. She wants to be at home, in her own bed, so I packed my bags and we took her home, only to discover that her heating is out. She owns her mobile home, so there's no landlord to call. She lives off her social security check, which is about $630 a month. I've spent the entire day either calling agencies to find out if there is assistance available to the elderly for this sort of situation, or waiting on calls to be returned. I've come away from the search bitter, sad, and empty-handed. We came back to my place, and while she slept, I turned to HuffPo to ease my mind. Given Obama's win, there are loads of uplifting headlines these days. Still, I happened upon one headline that I couldn't ignore.
Crisis Not Egalitarian: Ferrari, Rolls, Maserati Sales Hold
DAN STRUMPF | November 21, 2008 07:19 AM EST | AP
The article explained that U.S. Ferrari sales are only down 3% as compared to the nationwide industry standard of 14%. Further, Maserati sales jumped 10%, and Rolls-Royce sales left the atmosphere with a remarkable 32% leap.
Models in spaghetti-strap dresses circled Maserati's display at the show, which opens to the public on Friday, while Italian executives in fine suits talked up the Ferrari California and subdued Britons bragged that the Lotus Evora is so exquisite "it goes beyond the sense of touch."
"It's a car that you have to experience in almost telepathic terms," said Roger Becker, head of vehicle engineering for Lotus, without a trace of irony.
Now, being the reasonable soul that I am, I looked for signs of comprehension that this is insulting across the board. The following paragraph was the only simulation of such. (Emphasis mine.)
The display may seem improper after U.S. auto executives spent the week begging for alms in Washington. But ultra-luxury cars like those on display at the LA show are often highly resistant to economic downturns, said Erich Merkle, top auto analyst with the consulting firm Crowe Horwath LLP.
So, at least in the automobile industry, there is further evidence that, while millions suffer, the ultra-rich don't take a hit that really matters. They can lose 40%, 50%, hell, 80% of their net worth while simultaneously maintaining their lavish lifestyles. They continue buying $40 Bling H20, Maseratis, Prada suits, Monolo Blahnik shoes and Fendi purses.
This day - no, scratch that - this year has been awful on our family. Nanny is 80, and we didn't expect her to live forever. But her death has been, and will continue to be, excruciatingly painful for her. During this past year, my mother has had a series of srokes, and my father was injured in a car accident after topping a hill, only to find a county dump truck parked on the other side. My brother lost his job last month, and he's considering leaving his children to join the military simply because there are no jobs. I do realize I'm fortunate to have a roof over my head, and my that my son is happy. Still, it just adds insult to injury that Nanny can't spend her last weeks at home because there's no heat while billionaires fly their personal jets to beg for tax dollars.
Am I bitter? Absolutely, but I'm horribly saddened for our society. Some might call this class warfare, but I believe that phrase is a fabrication that successfully muffles the cries of the suffering. According to a 2007 study, more than 36 million Americans were counted among the hungry. Roughly 9 million were children, and nearly 3 million were the elderly. Resentment towards the privileged few is rising. The old "class warfare" accusation can't hold back the flood forever.