Warren Miller, ski film’s grand poo-bah and member of the financially slippery slope elite at Montana’s Yellowstone Club theorizes that “the definition that fits rich better is ‘Economic Stratification’”.
Betty Crocker could build a better argument with a wedding cake but Warren’s article actually becomes the backdrop to some very interesting comments that follow the story. It’s like the cinematographer going from a wide angle shot to a zoom without telling the director.
Anyway, some of the comments end up being a discussion on “the philosophy” of private gated communities which set off a little bell in my head- what does this remind me of?
A couple years back I watched a M. Night Shyamalan film called “The Village”. Basically, it’s based on a true story about a bunch of people (apparently well funded people) that buy a wilderness preserve and set up their own little village and payoff the local authorities to keep the outside world, you know- outside. In the movie, for further insulation from within, to keep people from wandering off the grounds to “the towns- wicked places where wicked people live”, the elders create some devilish creatures that they refer to as “Those We Don’t Speak Of”.
I couldn’t help but wonder if those devilish creatures might also be haunting the Yellowstone Club, “Those We Don’t Speak Of”, could this be everyone from Big Sky, Montana to France that the “village” owes money to?
At any rate it was enlightening reading, I’ll feel a lot better now when I am going by the rock walls and iron gates that divide the movers and shakers of the world from the rest of us unmotivated slugs and armed with at least a rudimentary understanding of “economic stratification” I’m buoyed by knowing that these bastions are necessary to protect those on the upper stratum that are burdened by its effects.
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I think Warren forgot to mention that the land where the Yellowstone Club currently sits belonged to the public. Big Sky Lumber under Blizseth, thanks to some fat payolla in Helena, managed the land grab of the century.
There was a time when we ordinary stiffs climbed, hiked, biked, and just plain enjoyed the back woods that is now the gated and guarded community of the Billionaires.
I think Warren has gone senile – and he should be careful where he shows his face around Montana. Bozeman is very friendly – but we aren’t stupid.