"i recently read on a web site the description of SUVs as vehicles that despise the planet. this phrase has stuck in my mind. a normal-size human going out and firing up an oversize 6000-pound vehicle that can barely cover 10 miles on a gallon of highly refined gasoline for a trip to the mall or the soccer field is, in my opinion, analogous to the ancient roman practice of having banquets in which the guests gorged themselves to overflowing and then went into the vomitorium to throw up so they could continue indulging themselves. wretched excess to an appalling degree. conspicuous consumption to the point of absurdity, just because they could.

did the ancient romans have the right to behave this way? absolutely. the more germaine question is: do we admire them for it? my own fear is that our nation is starting more and more to resemble the doomed empire, and whenever someone speaks up to ask us to rethink what we are doing, he or she is shouted down and ridiculed.." -james t. pendergrast --nyc,ny

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