4 ms·

It amazes me how the examples given in the article as displays of wealth don't resonate with me at all. In the Middle East, you have Sheiks creating gigantic p

by vecinu 13y ago

It amazes me how the examples given in the article as displays of wealth don't resonate with me at all. In the Middle East, you have Sheiks creating gigantic palaces that rival wonders of the world, all for their display of wealth and power. In the Balkans, you have rich gypsies throwing money on women at their weddings and carrying more bling on them than you will ever have in your lifetime. I just left SF for a bit after living in SoMa for a year. People should understand that spending YOUR money on YOUR wedding to make it special is not an exorbitant display of wealth. Neither is having a corporate jet area at an airport or a charter of private buses for that matter. It could be worse; much worse.

mkessy 13y ago
I'm sorry but what the hell kind of reasoning is this? "It could be worse in other countries, so how it is here isn't really bad" We could have a full on police state like in some other countries so what the NSA does isn't really bad at all. It is the huge wealth disparity in SV, the complete apathy towards public policy/politics, and a mind sight like yours that evades all responsibility. Here are the facts: record numbers of poor people, staggeringly high amount of homelessness, public schools that are essentially privatized by wealthy parents. Then look at the campuses of Facebook and Google, you practically don't even need to leave, everything you want is at your job so why venture out and see the problems of the unwashed masses? All of this isolation creates a sort of cognitive dissonance, where everyone thinks they are solving the worlds problems by creating a new social app, when some major problems affecting real people are sitting right in front of them. I'm not saying SV is inherently wrong, but a dose of reality and some acceptance of responsibility would go a long way.
marcusf 13y ago
> In the Balkans, you have rich gypsies throwing money on women at their weddings and carrying more bling on them than you will ever have in your lifetime. From my understanding, the throwing of money during a wedding is a tradition in some cultures. It's either used to pay for the wedding, or the money goes around and is used in another wedding. I've given money at weddings, in an envelope instead of throwing it, but I wouldn't call that a display of wealth. Not if spending YOUR money on YOUR wedding isn't, at least.

by vecinu 13y ago

mkessy 13y ago

I'm sorry but what the hell kind of reasoning is this? "It could be worse in other countries, so how it is here isn't really bad" We could have a full on police state like in some other countries so what the NSA does isn't really bad at all. It is the huge wealth disparity in SV, the complete apathy towards public policy/politics, and a mind sight like yours that evades all responsibility. Here are the facts: record numbers of poor people, staggeringly high amount of homelessness, public schools that are essentially privatized by wealthy parents. Then look at the campuses of Facebook and Google, you practically don't even need to leave, everything you want is at your job so why venture out and see the problems of the unwashed masses? All of this isolation creates a sort of cognitive dissonance, where everyone thinks they are solving the worlds problems by creating a new social app, when some major problems affecting real people are sitting right in front of them. I'm not saying SV is inherently wrong, but a dose of reality and some acceptance of responsibility would go a long way.

marcusf 13y ago

> In the Balkans, you have rich gypsies throwing money on women at their weddings and carrying more bling on them than you will ever have in your lifetime. From my understanding, the throwing of money during a wedding is a tradition in some cultures. It's either used to pay for the wedding, or the money goes around and is used in another wedding. I've given money at weddings, in an envelope instead of throwing it, but I wouldn't call that a display of wealth. Not if spending YOUR money on YOUR wedding isn't, at least.