The Cost of Living Extremely Well

Time for anther peek into the "Lifestyles of the Rich . . . and Cranky."

The vast majority of Americans -- those making $50,000 a year or less -- are stretching to make ends meet these days, but I'll bet they never pause to think about how hard it is for their fellow citizens who're immensely rich. Luckily, we have Forbes magazine's "Cost of Living Extremely Well Index" to inform us about this hardship.

Yes, the uber-rich are getting ever more uber, but what you probably don't know is that the cost of their lavish lifestyles is increasing astronomically. Were you aware, for example, that the price of a catered dinner for 40 of your closest friends jumped 31 percent in the past year? You used to entertain them for $7,500 -- but now it's nearly $10,000 for a catered dinner party. It's enough to drive you to McDonald's!

Also, while some families worry about the increase in the price of home heating oil this winter, few of them ever think about the fact that the price of a Russian sable fur coat is up 18 percent, now topping $225,000. But if you want to run with the big dogs of wealth, you really have no choice but to pay the price. Being super-rich, after all, is about saving face with your peers. Speaking of which, did you know that a facelift that cost some $14,000 last year now will set you back $17,000?

Sometimes, you just want to get away from it all, which is why so many of the swells are moving into double-wides. Not house trailers, darling -- double-wide private jets! They only cost $150 million each, and they're said to be as comfy as mobile mansions.

The good news is you can still get a 45-minute session with a New York Upper East Side psychiatrist for $300. Now that's a bargain that every stressed-out rich person should jump at.

Booting Bush's Buddies

Whew -- it's getting lonelier and lonelier at the top for George W., as his "Coalition of the Willing" buddies keep getting bumped off.

In country after country, warmongering heads of state who joined in Bush's Iraq disaster are being rejected by the home folks. Jose Maria Aznar lost in Spain, Silvio Berlusconi was defeated in Italy, Tony Blair was booted in England, and now John Howard has been tossed out as prime minister of Australia. The Coalition of the Willing has become a Coalition of the Defeated!

Howard's loss was especially galling for Bush, for he had traveled all the way to the Down Under in September to campaign for the Aussie. Calling Howard a "man of steel," he tried to bolster the prime minister's campaign with rosy claims of progress in their shared war. In a moment of irrational exuberance, George even exclaimed, "We're kicking (butt) in Iraq."

Apparently, though, Bush is no more credible there than he is here, for it was Howard who got booted. His Liberal Party received its worst election thrashing in its 63-year history, and Howard suffered the added humiliation of losing his own district -- the first time since 1929 that an Australian prime minister had been voted out both as head of state and as a member of parliament. It was a total meltdown for the man of steel.

To add to Bush's pain of losing his "steadfast" ally, the guy who administered the butt-kicking, Labor Party leader Kevin Rudd, not only campaigned against the war, but also announced immediately after his victory that he would withdraw all Australian troops from Iraq by July of next year. His pledge squares perfectly with the desire of the Australian public -- more than 60 percent of whom wanted their troops home within 12 months.

That's four heads of state down -- and one, Bush, to go -- before we bring all of the troops home.

To find out more about Jim Hightower, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
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