Conspicuous Consumption Taken To Extremes

[minsue]

I'm suspicious about this. I wonder if they were REAL notes or fakes--and the bride et al said they were real as a joke or just to show off. I'd like to see it confirmed that they were real bank notes.

They were to be shredded. I finally found a follow up article on the BBC - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5237966.stm


I still find it tacky, though.

 

[minsue]

If I had money to do away with? I'd actually thow it as confetti in a non-shred way. Why the hell not? It means nothing to me but much to some.

That I wouldn't find tacky at all.

 

[CharleyH]

That I wouldn't find tacky at all.

Neither would I - hell - I'd be with Stella - on my knees!

As an aside Min (Stella et al)? Do you read The Onion?

 

[minsue]

Neither would I - hell - I'd be with Stella - on my knees!

As an aside Min (Stella et al)? Do you read The Onion?

Daily.

 

[CharleyH]

Daily.

LOL - Excellent!!!

 

[BlackShanglan]

How vulgar. Even the nobility used at least to have the decency to scatter actual, usable money to the crowds if they wanted to celebrate in a particularly florid fashion. Shredding it? How childish.

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

How vulgar. Even the nobility used at least to have the decency to scatter actual, usable money to the crowds if they wanted to celebrate in a particularly florid fashion. Shredding it? How childish.

__________________
"Want to shred something of mine? Oh, you know you do."
Not your money, though.

 

[BlackShanglan]

__________________
"Want to shred something of mine? Oh, you know you do."
Not your money, though.

*laugh* No, *that* might be worth something. The rest you may treat as waste paper.

(PS - I've noticed that in my sleeplessness-addled state, I missed Charley saying a similar thing much better just above. Apologies for the pale imitation, Ch.)

 

[minsue]

*fluffs up the pile of shredded euros into a nice, soft horsey bed*

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

*fluffs up the pile of shredded euros into a nice, soft horsey bed*

Good thing this thread isn't set in Roman times, Sue. You'd be fluffing up copper coins

 

[gauchecritic]

How vulgar. Even the nobility used at least to have the decency to scatter actual, usable money to the crowds if they wanted to celebrate in a particularly florid fashion. Shredding it? How childish.

Not just the nobility. It used to be traditional in my home town for silver coins to be scattered from wedding cars as it set off to church. (Ah yes, I remember it well)

 

[3113]

They were to be shredded.

Ah-ha! I knew it. So it wasn't like they just went to the bank and removed some $50,000 from the saving account then shredded the bills. They procured a bunch of bills already destined for the shredders (or already shredded), which probably cost them little to nothing, and used them.

Their mistake was forgetting..or maybe not forgetting...to let the town in on the joke. Did they want the town to think they'd deliberately shredded that much of their own money? One wonders.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Neither would I - hell - I'd be with Stella - on my knees!

I am agog at the thought

As an aside Min (Stella et al)? Do you read The Onion?

Not me- I have a very low tolerance for satirical humor

 

[minsue]

Ah-ha! I knew it. So it wasn't like they just went to the bank and removed some $50,000 from the saving account then shredded the bills. They procured a bunch of bills already destined for the shredders (or already shredded), which probably cost them little to nothing, and used them.

Their mistake was forgetting..or maybe not forgetting...to let the town in on the joke. Did they want the town to think they'd deliberately shredded that much of their own money? One wonders.

If they had a fireworks show costing $51K as part of their wedding, I'm guessing they would have no problem with the local townsfolk thinking they shredded their own cash for confetti.

 

[BlackShanglan]

*fluffs up the pile of shredded euros into a nice, soft horsey bed*

Ahhhh. That was evidently the trick. That or the new formulation on the Ambien.

Shanglan

 

[SummerMorning]

I dunno, Summer. Those pieces of paper represent something that most people have to bust their butts for, and that is worthy of respect. Insult is in the eye of the heholder, I guess - and I'm insulted.

I know people bust their butts for pieces of paper. That's ridiculous too, when you think about it. Working for little bits of coloured paper? It's all about the ideas.

You might be insulted - I just find the whole matter ridiculous. Although, as a ritual it certainly is effective - what more effective way of telling everyone you've got too much of everything?

 

[SummerMorning]

Speaking as someone who hasn't made the rent yet- I am pretty fucking insulted.

It's not your money, though. Why does it insult you? I'd be insulted by a system that is so conductive to these kinds of income inequalities. Not by individuals taking advantage of them.

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

I know people bust their butts for pieces of paper. That's ridiculous too, when you think about it. Working for little bits of coloured paper? It's all about the ideas.

You might be insulted - I just find the whole matter ridiculous. Although, as a ritual it certainly is effective - what more effective way of telling everyone you've got too much of everything?

When you accept money in payment for your effort, you do so only on the conviction that you will exchange it for the product of the effort of others. Those pieces of paper are a token of honor—your claim upon the energy of the men and women who produce. Money is made by the effort of every honest man and woman, each to the extent of his ability. An honest person is one who knows that he or she can't consume more than he or she has produced. Money permits you to obtain for your goods and your labor that which they are worth to the person who buys them, but no more. Money permits no deals except those to mutual benefit by the unforced judgment of the buyer and seller. Money is your means of survival. The verdict you pronounce upon the source of your livelihood is the verdict you pronounce upon your life.

 

[BlackShanglan]

Why does it insult you? I'd be insulted by a system that is so conductive to these kinds of income inequalities. Not by individuals taking advantage of them.

I don't see how we could have one without the other.

A system is only a group of individuals each deciding to behave in a particular way. The most grievous injustices of any system are only the sum total of the number of individuals in it willing to sacrifice the welfare of other people for their own ends. A system can make it easier or harder to exploit others, but each act of exploitation is an individual choice. Surely we must expect more of individuals than to absolve them of responsibility for any actions they are not forcibly prevented from taking.

Shanglan

 

[BlackShanglan]

Money permits no deals except those to mutual benefit by the unforced judgment of the buyer and seller.

I can't wholly agree with you there, but ...

The verdict you pronounce upon the source of your livelihood is the verdict you pronounce upon your life.

Huzzah! I knew we'd make a Marxist of you yet.

(Good to see you, Roxanne.)

Shanglan

 

[minsue]

Huzzah! I knew we'd make a Marxist of you yet.

http://addis-welt.de/smilie/smilie/lachen/669.gif

 

[Xelebes]

Heh, what a waste. If I had that cash to spare, I'd rent a big-ass cicus tent and host a public party with giant FREE BEER signs visible for miles.

And then there being no beer there and you are miles away?

 

[yui]

http://addis-welt.de/smilie/smilie/lachen/669.gif

Just cos I wanna.

 

[rgraham666]

Hey yui!

Nice to see you back. Been wondering where you were.

 

[cheerful_deviant]

Now this is just tacky -

I concur.

This was done for no other reason than to show that they literally have money to throw away. It's sad that they chose to use that extra in such a stupid display. Donate it to a childrens' fund or disabled veterans or even an wildlife agency for cripes sake.

Seems that sometimes the people with the most money have the least class.