We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Jet-Setters Face Frustrating Flight Delays, Just Like the Plebes!

by Jamie Johnson from Vanity Fair

You thought you had it rough having to arrive at the airport hours ahead of scheduled take-off, waiting in lines to be virtually strip-searched, and having to pay for every little convenience. My favorite one-percenter, Jamie Johnson, reports that the rich also have their frustrations with air travel in their private jets. How could that be? You ask. 

Well, it seems it's that damn government regulation!  I wonder why they don't do away with that, too--they don't tolerate the government regulating their banks, other financial institutions, and all the exotic derivative bets they use to enrich themselves, bets that often result in the wreckage of entire economies.
...people who spend between $10 million and $50 million on a jet don’t expect to be plagued by the same issues that beleaguer regular airlines. And when the realization hits, the response usually is one of bewilderment.
And, that is not the only problem they are experiencing during this economic collapse. According to the NY Times report, they are frustrated by the difficulties they encounter trying to sell their yachts!