Posted on 12/30/2003 2:36:04 PM PST by Alouette
We in the Gulf think we are a different race and that no other people descended from Adam and Eve are like us. Have you read about the new BMW studded with jewels, gold and gems that is being built especially for the people of the Gulf?
The car is a joint venture between the manufacturer and a jeweler in the UAE. Most of the car's interior, we understand, is plated with gold and precious stones. The idea is to attract as many buyers as possible from the Middle East, particularly women.
According to the company's regional manager, there are 12 different exclusive designs, all specially made for consumers in the region. The designs all include 18-carat gold decorations in addition to the most precious gems that money can buy. This is the first time auto manufacturers have used 18-carat gold in their products.
The gold car is not all that expensive for a region known to include some of the richest people in the world. This is also the same region which is home to crowded slums where the poorest of the poor live.
In any case, the price of the car without the gold is a mere $120,000. For those willing to pay an additional $280,000, pushing the price up to $400,000, a gold-plated car will be theirs.
Of course, in theory we have no right to object to anyone spending their money as they like. At the same time, there are laws that allow the children of a spendthrift father to be placed under the guardianship of a responsible person. What about a law that stops people from wasting money on such things?
The West has reached the point of taking us so lightly that they treat us like children, producing these expensive toys especially for us. Can it be just another trick to take back the money they spend buying our oil? Do we think that anyone will respect and admire us when we spend money in this way?
It is not only the most conspicuous consumption; it is also the most insensitive and frivolous behavior imaginable.
Who said anything about driving?
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