I've lived in San Francisco, London, NYC and LA and wealth in these places is obvious and everywhere. For me, when I am idling on the 405 Freeway next to a Rolls that cost $435,000, I can't help but think that the money could have been better spent. Say a $100K Land Rover and 34 tiny houses for the homeless.

We ALL turn a little green when see such wealth. A man walking down Rodeo Drive wearing over $10,000 in shoes, pants and jacket as he steps in a Starbucks for a quick Americana. It's tough mailing a somewhat late mortgage payment in the post office, next to a woman sending a package to NY, while wearing a Cartier watch worth over $50,000 - enough for three years' mortgage payments in LA.

Looking nice, feeling good, taking care of oneself are not crimes. Doing it with an absence of perspective of the world around one, seems to be.

I can see Pelosi officiating - she's simply stroking the cash cow needed to get re-elected. But bride and groom zooming back to 14th Century Europe for the day, while throwing coins into the crowd (figuratively) is just plain myopic.

Good article.