"Walleye Days Come to Normal, Mn."----FICTION

Time to focus on the big fish

I wondered aloud when I met Herman about why there was a "Walleye Days"---whenever I had gone fishing for walleyes, it was always a rented pontoon, a guide, etc....in short a very expensive outing that resulted in very few walleyes indeed. The way I calculated it, the cost per pound was about $300 per pound. How did this make any sense at all? I much rather just fish for sunnies and be done with it.

Herman however roundly objected to my analysis: He said: "Wolfman---you have missed the whole idea of wealth itself. The theory was proposed by Thornstein Veblen, who even taught at Carlton College in Northfield, Mn.,...until he had an affair with the President's daughter. Here is what Thornstein taught about wealth:

The ultimate of status is spending large amounts of cash investing in things that make no economic sense. Do not do the math. Of course it does not come out. It never was supposed to.

One of the key ideas of the Theory of the "Theory of the Leisure Class" by Thornstein Veblen, was that when one is of the super rich, the idea is to show off that wealth in a consistent manner and yes...in an outrageous manner....so that people get the idea that you have so much wealth that it bothers you not a wit if you waste a little of it....or a lot of it. The wasting of wealth then is a badge of honor. The more wasting....the more honor and status. Waste Away.

Drinking to excess, spending to excess, travelling to excess etc were all part of the game to make one stand out-----yes this was kind of a pre-Paris Hilton thing. In the matter of drinking, the drinking to excess was intended to show that since one had so many excess brain cells, that the destruction of tons of cells through alcoholism was really no problem for the super talented. yo. In some parts of the United States, we still have the tradition of drinking to excess, and yes...even cheap beer...but the theory of why this is done has been long lost....it is just a drunken tradition.

One of the corollary ideas that was all of a rage and fashion for government---it was the notion that governments or municipalities got high status by wasting money on restorations, and other items of infrastructure that were really just wasteful---and they were proud of it. After all. It was their heritage. It was for the grandkids. It was a badge of honor. Gradually, over the years, these large infrastructure projects became more important than citizens or governance itself. Accounting? heavens no....too boring. No need for policies and proceeures...boring...no need for oversight....just go with the flow....That is exciting. ---"

Do not worry. I spoke right out in defense of good old Wisconsin. I told Herman in no uncertain terms that we in Wisconsin did not have any high and fancy theories why we drank or spent to excess .....it was just our natural way and we never did read the " Theory of the Leisure Class."

Now to relax wih a good Bud Light. Heaven. It sure is good to be back home.