Obstinate brute force is not exactly persuasive, but it is compelling.
We progressives tend to believe in the primacy of facts and reason, but outside of debating societies, aggression wins more than its share of arguments — whether in commerce, politics, the passing lane or the playing fields. Dogged unpleasantness is hardly a philosophy of life, but to some, "philosophy is a ass."
Just ask those who bump up against it, including me.
Last week I made veiled reference to sleazy merchants from New Jersey, and my decision to dispute what I thought was an extremely unethical and misleading sales transaction. Oh, why be coy? It was Best Price Cameras, which should rank alongside Mission Accomplished as one of the more devious and unfulfilled appeals to American positivism.
I do not easily walk away from a fight and, for my first 35 years, I often looked for them. But after some reflection, I recognized that a business model based on fraud and deceit does not crumple before the onslaught of a single aggrieved consumer — one mere gullible traveler. Best Price Cameras, under a variety of names, has been honing its misdirections and defenses long before I arrived fuming over principle and fair dealing.
"It's what we do," said the sales guy when I called to protest how he had cunningly dropped items from my order when proposing a last-minute deal that masked the switcheroo.
I actually began filling out the paperwork from the credit card company before I stepped back to behold the keening asshole this transaction was making me. Sure, I could document the twists and turns of the deception, but what did it matter? I was still a fool for being worn down by a company whose target market is the trusting and the unwary.
I looked again at my anger. Half of it was rightly directed at myself.
A lot of men are dead because someone invoked principle over matters of small consequence. Because they could not bear exposing their own faults and shortcomings. Because a man does not back down just because someone else might have a point. Because evil, even if it is only venality, should not be allowed to prevail and the deal, while not as advertized, was no worse that the regular deal.
Caveat emptor.
To broadly paraphrase Louis de Bernieres, I was intent upon preserving my honor, a male impluse untempered by compassion, humor or common sense. My case could be justified, but I was still stupid.
Today, I called the credit card company and said, never mind.
Dropping the dispute, I found peace, but the Michael Bordkorbs of the world are doing another squirming little victory dance.
