scott

we are a nation of complainers whose expectations for comfort are a disgrace. as we fight to maintain a standard of living that far exceeds that which this planet can sustain. and fight we will - all wars are over economic dominance. but our skills at masking fact bring comfort to lies. and so we expect this manufactured plastic life. but how dare we be so arrogant. try justifying a pet's jewlery to a farmer in chiapas. embarassment. how pathetic we are - basking in luxury and complaining about it. the level of material comfort that the average american expects is embarassing. our ideas about what we need are a complete disgrace. the ancient egyptians squandered the people's wealth on one man's grave, medieval europeans on one man's palace, and now the latest pop star outfits her pet with thousands of dollars in jewels. we still aspire to this. but i challenge anyone who accepts such expenditures to look in the eyes of any of the worlds billions of people living on $1 a day and not feel like a worthless thief. embarassment.