Gold-Plated

In case we needed further evidence of the demise of civilization, on Saturday I noticed two vanity license plates of complementary offensiveness: “IM SVD,” which I translate as “I’m Saved,” and “LV AU,” or “Love Gold.” Speaking of vanity, here are some appropriate lines (they’re all appropriate) from Samuel Johnson’s “The Vanity of Human Wishes”:

“But scarce observ'd the Knowing and the Bold,
Fall in the gen'ral Massacre of Gold;
Wide-wasting Pest! that rages unconfin'd,
And crouds with Crimes the Records of Mankind,
For Gold his Sword the Hireling Ruffian draws,
For Gold the hireling Judge distorts the Laws;
Wealth heap'd on Wealth, nor Truth nor Safety buys,
The Dangers gather as the Treasures rise.”

The poem I first thought of was “The License Plate” (from Of No Country I Know), by David Ferry:

“On the way back from the hospital we saw
A message on the license plate of a car.

“It said GOD HAS. Has what?
Decided finally what to do about it?

“The answer to the question that you asked?
The whole world in His Hands? Fucked up? Again?

“Apologized? Failed to apologize?
The car went on its way ahead of us.”