Green Police

One of the Super Bowl commercials that presages a world that may come is for Audi. Essentially it is an ad for a "clean diesel" Audi. But it shows "green police" arresting people for every day decisions such as throwing out a battery, installing incandescent light bulbs, putting an orange rind down a disposal...but the guy who can afford an Audi stationwagon gets off scott free in a green police roadblock.

And while Audi in it's web page wants to encourage "green activities," what really struck me about this ad are several things. The rich can avoid penalties because they can afford to buy carbon credits and Audis (furthering the divide between the rich and everyone else), the paramilitary way environmental laws and regulations may be enforced, and the other message that the rich can continue with their consumptive life style as long as they buy expensive ""green goods."