Imagine, if you can, the shock of having to fly commercial after spending years on a private jet.
Or not having your regular spring shopping spree at Bergdorf's. Or — take a deep breath — having to stay home to watch 'Law & Order' instead of going to opening night at the Metropolitan Opera.
I know, it sounds unbearable. But in today's tough economy, some people have truly hit bottom. Bottom all being relative.
In an anonymous piece in Portfolio, a self-described TARP wife bemoans her new lifestyle. (She's since been outed as Liz Peek, wife of CIT chief Jeff Peek).
She can't flaunt her wealth anymore, for fear of being outed in the press as wasting taxpayer money. But she can't cut back too much, for fear that 'shareholders' (read: social rivals) may think they're in trouble.
'Like most Americans, we are worried about money,' she says. She can't shop at Bergdorf's. She can't fly on the company jet. She has to show up late to back-tie balls to avoid paparazzi. She has to 'shop her closet.'
Here is her take on trying to plan her husband's annual birthday bash for dozens of their closest friends. Usually they held it at 'multi-star Michelin hotspots.' But this year they had to choose between a pricy spot that's known by the press and a more 'clubby' locale.
'Choosing Versailles to host World War I peace negotiations could not have been more complicated than my attempt to select the perfect spot for our annual dinner.' She added: 'We ultimately picked the cozier restaurant—even though it ended up costing us more, so eager was the more chic outfit to host the party. Why spend the extra bucks? Because our chosen place is distinctly low-profile and rarely mentioned in the press.'
It would be easy to call Mrs. Tarp self-absorbed, indulgent and clueless to the damages that her TARP CEO husband and other bankers inflicted on the economy and the country.
But we shouldn't.Because she's from Richistan. Richistanis, of course, have been living in their own country for the past decade. In their world, losing one year's bonus is a life shock.
No, they're not losing their homes of their jobs or their retirements. But they are losing their sense of importance, their feeling of being on top, of ruling the world and having everything they want. And that matters more than the loss of the private jet or opera tickets.
So please, let's all show some pity. They can't help it; they're from Richistan.
责任编辑：虫虫
