KEEPING UP WITH THE JONES
6/3/07
I was watching a lousy Sunday morning show today. One where everyone is smiling and talking about nothing. A mindless Sunday morning program with dumb authors talking to dumber weekend hosts . Millions of Americans were probably watching the same program or a similar program. These shows trouble me more than any white washed news program ; because they are totally consumerized. The entire premise of these programs is to promote some product or another between short video clips of sanitized news and promotions of five mile marathons for breast cancer or Madd mothers or some organization of skinny people fighting national obesity. It’s bad enough to see ads promoting stool softening agents , with a constipated looking middle aged model,or some long forgotten actor telling the world that he has a prostate problem and has to relieve himself every ten minutes. Television has become one continuous stream of obnoxious advertizing designed to urge the shopping addicted consumer society to buy something. The locally produced ads are some of the most horrible , stupid and unrelenting of all. Home shopping networks have some of the highest ratings on television.
Connecticut television viewers are subjected to several of the most obnoxious and idiotic, amaturish commercials ever produced. I personally refuse to go to any store or car dealer or furniture store; that has an idiot for an owner. Any moron that can look and act like a complete baffoon in a statewide advertisment, for his own or her own business, must be a complete baffoon in business, or think that his customers are idiots. They know there are a lot of baffoons and idiots in the general television audience; who like to buy things from other baffoons. The marketing idea is to make the consumer think that they are getting a real steal; because the business owner is insane or a complete boob.
I was annoyed by a certain dumb author who was recently promoting her book on this lousy national morning show. I won’t plug the book by naming it or the program she was on , but she stated that “keeping up with the Jones” was one of the greatest stresses Americans face. I took offense to that statement since never in my entire life have I ever given a damn about what someone else owns or has. If John Q Neighbor has a new car and a new house and a pretty wife with a 10 carrot rock on her finger and a new set of siliconed breasts , I say good for him. A high maintainance life style is great for him , if he can afford it, and the stress of keeping up the payments doesn’t kill him before he reaches forty.
Everyone I have ever known who had a totally consumerized lifestyle was either six feet under a pile of debt or inherited a fortune, or their wife or husband had wealthy parents. I had a friend who lived very well , and worked very hard to maintain his life style, but I was well aware that his lifestyle far exceeded his income; even if he never let on how he could afford all he owned. He had a fine house in the suburbs , a nice beach house, a boat, and late model cars. He owned his own business and his wife worked as a hair dresser. After several years of friendship with him I found out from a close friend of his; that his wife’s family had a huge fortune. Everytime he or his wife needed something , or got into financial trouble, her parents would buy what their daughter wanted, or bail them out.
Many American parents buy their children houses, cars, college educations, and get their children mega paying jobs in firms and companies. The rest of us in the poor smuck universe have to make good on our own. It’s extremely hard to come close to competing with people like this. If someone starts off in life with a family fortune of millions how is a guy from a ghetto going to compete in his formative years or adult life with someone like this. One of the most ridiculous success stories I’ve ever heard was that of Donald Trump. Donald Trump’s father was worth 40 million dollars in the 1960’s . That is equal to 400 million dollars today. This is a classic example of “how to succeed in business without really trying.” Even someone who was clinically brain dead would beable to succeed in business with that kind of money behind him. Having 400 million dollars to start out your life with insures you against financial failure the rest of your life; even if you spent a million dollars a year on a cocaine habit and spent every day of your life on vacation.
Keeping up with Trump is as foolish an ambition as trying to build the Taj Mahal for under 100,000 dollars. It can’t happen. It won’t happen and why would anyone even attempt it? Why would anyone want to be Donald Trump? I have nothing against Mr. Trump. He does what he does and I enjoy his celebrity. He does a lot of good with his money. I enjoy the Miss America and Miss Universe pagents. I don’t care for the Apprentice; since he replaced the women executive on the show with his daughter. Nepotism in television and business is part of the game. We have to expect it. Trying to imagine anyone getting beyond the board room waiting room in the Trump organization is a fools dream. It is the same in all family businesses. How many people work for organizations runned and ruined by idiot sons and daughters; who take over the family business. Any worker who thinks they can possibly compete on an equal footing for an executive position with the son or daughter of the owner of the company isn’t being real.
The most idealic phrase ever stated , “All Men Are Created Equal”, is one of the greatest falsehoods ever believed as truth. This statement was written by men who were slave owners. Men of wealth and stature and learning far beyond the minds and means of 99 and 9/10ths of all Americans, and Europeans during the 1700″s. How could a slave possibly compete on any financial level with a slave owner. It is the same today. How can a debt slave, which is 99 percent of all Americans, ever compete with a Bill Gates, or Warren Buffet ? These guys closed the doors behind them once they succeeded; to block out all competiton.
I’m not saying that people can’t rise above their currant stations in life. I’m saying that if we are content with our lives, or stations in life, that should be enough for anyone. Why does it bother anyone if his neighbor or his friends have something they don’t? It is very likely that we have something someone else wants. Even if we have nothing someone else wants, if we are happy and content and healthy,we have something more precious and sought after; than all the wealth in the world.
Keeping up with the Jones isn’t worth it. We haven’t a clue how Mr. or Mrs. Jones got their wealth or even if they really have wealth. In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s Donald Trump almost went bankrupt. He owed according to published statements, 365 million dollars annually on his property and casinos just in interest payments. The several banks that he owed decided to cut a deal with him and reduce his interest payments , forgive portions of his loans and restructure his debt payments without him going bankrupt. He owed them so much money that they couldn’t take the risk of his not paying them back, which he was unable to do. This is how Trump operated. He created so much debt; that his creditors couldn’t afford to let him default. This is the classic way to great wealth, borrow all you can , threaten not to pay it back ; then buy back the debt for a fraction of it’s face value. This simple formula for investment is: More debt equals less profit, debt bought out for less than owed, plus retainment of accumulated equity, equals great profit.
Keeping up with our own simple wants and desires is difficult enough for most people. Food , clothing and shelter are the bare essentials that billions of people around the world can not afford. Most Americans or anyone living in a first world country are adequately meeting their needs for themselves and their families. Trying to keep up with the Jones is absolute foolishness. Contentment with ourselves should have nothing to do with what someone else has. Anyone who has peace of mind and contentment, regardless of their financial net worth, has more to be thankful for and more for others to envy; than any king , queen or billionare, or a neighbor or friend named Jones.
I was watching a program about the Blue Man Group the other night. One of the groups members stated; that they were inspired to continue to create their bizarre performances of music and concert entertainment, by a statement made by a successful author; who was asked how to become successful; his reply was “to follow your bliss.” Believing in one’s self and our own unique concept of what makes us most happy and content, is the true pathway to success. I know of no one, other than myself, who can create for me my greatest fullfillment and contentment.
L.A. STEEL
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